September 10, 1999

As a world-renowned leader in health care, teaching and research, the MGH attracts substantial media attention. The MGH Public Affairs Office is responsible for overseeing the hospital's media relations program, and each member of the MGH community plays an important role in ensuring the program's quality and effectiveness. To assist the Public Affairs Office, MGH employees are encouraged to follow these guidelines:

• All media calls should be referred to the Public Affairs Office at 6-2206. A representative of Public Affairs is available 24 hours a day through the hospital page operator at 6-2066, beeper #28383. The Public Affairs staff is experienced in handling a range of media issues and is available to assist MGH employees.

• To ensure patient confidentiality and privacy, a Public Affairs staff member must accompany any member of the media entering the hospital with a camera of any type. The Public Affairs representative will obtain the necessary clearances and consents. Public Affairs must be informed and involved, even if the film crew is shooting a promotional or training video. Early notification of such requests helps to facilitate scheduling.

• Patient confidentiality is the highest priority. Any patient information released by the hospital to the media is done through the Public Affairs Office. Generally, a one-word condition – good, fair, serious or critical – is released, in accordance with American Hospital Association guidelines. In some cases, the patient or a family member will allow the hospital to release additional information.

• If an employee has an existing relationship with a reporter and agrees to an interview, they should inform Public Affairs as soon as possible. Knowing about media contact enables Public Affairs to track and report any resulting media placements to members of the MGH community.

• Researchers who learn that a paper has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal should contact the Public Affairs Office as soon as possible to discuss appropriate strategies for communicating the information. Scientific publications often present opportunities for media coverage. Embargoes are always honored.

For more information about the hospital's media program, contact the Public Affairs Office at 6-2206, Georgia Peirce, director of media relations at 4-6423 or Peggy Slasman, chief Public Affairs officer, at 4-2750.