Information for Reporters

All news media inquiries, including requests for patient conditions, must be directed to the Hennepin Healthcare Public Relations Department. 

Contact

Christine Hill, Sr. Media Relations Specialist

Permission to Film/Photograph

News media staff need to contact the Public Relations Department for all inquiries and requests. Patient information is protected by State statutes and HIPAA.

Medical Resources for Your Stories

Hennepin Healthcare has nationally recognized medical experts available for interviews on a wide variety of topics. Call Christine Hill at 612-919-8711 to schedule an interview. Every effort will be made to arrange for one of our experts to answer your questions or provide background information for your assignment. (Please note that patient care is our first priority, and occasionally our physicians’ schedules will not allow for interviews.)

Patient Conditions

Patient Conditions

We understand that you have deadlines and every effort will be made to get the information you need as soon as possible. Please remember that all requests for patient conditions must include the first and last name of the patient.

HCMC uses the following criteria for determining a patient’s condition:

  • Critical – Questionable prognosis. Vital signs unstable, not within normal limits. The patient may be unconscious, and the indicators are unfavorable. Major complications and death may be a possibility.
  • Serious – Acutely ill with questionable prognosis; vital signs may be unstable, not within normal limits. Indicators questionable, chance for improved prognosis.
  • Satisfactory – Excellent or good prognosis. Vital signs (pulse, temp, blood pressure) stable, within normal limits. Patient conscious; may be uncomfortable or experiencing minor complications. Indicators (such as mobility, and appetite) are excellent.
  • Undetermined – The patient is in the process of being evaluated; condition not available.

Patient privacy is respected at HCMC. If you have called to request a patient condition or an opportunity to talk to a family member and you are told “I have no information for you,”  it can mean one of the following:

  • The person is not a patient at HCMC.
  • The patient is being evaluated and has not yet been admitted to the hospital.
  • The patient has elected to have no information released regarding his/her hospitalization.
  • The patient is in the custody of a corrections/law enforcement agency.
  • The patient has been discharged from an inpatient unit or was treated and released from the Emergency Department.
  • The patient has expired.

All media requests can be submitted using the Media Request form.

Media Policy

Hennepin Healthcare Media Policy

All news media inquiries, including requests for patient conditions, must be directed to Media Relations in the Public Relations Department by calling 612-873-5719.

Patient Conditions and Interviews

News media queries and requests for permission to film or photograph any area of the hospital must be directed to the Public Relations Department by calling 612-873-5719 or the Media Pager at 612-421-0130. Patient information is protected by State statutes and HIPAA.

Patient conditions

  1. Requests for information about patient conditions must include the first and last name of the patient.
  2. The media pager is answered from 6 AM to 10:00 PM every day. If you’re calling for a patient's condition, the one-word condition given at 10:00 PM will be the last condition given for the patient until 6 AM, when you can check to see if there’s an updated condition.
  3. If you provide the first and last name of a patient, the hospital spokesperson may say “I have no information for you.” There are several reasons for this response, including the patient’s choice to have nothing released about his/her condition. Please refer to the Patient Conditions tab to see some of the other reasons why even if a patient’s name is provided, we cannot issue a one-word condition.
  4. If the patient, or parent, or guardian (in the case of a minor) allows directory information to be released, the patient’s condition will be limited to one word – “satisfactory, serious, or critical.” No additional information can be released without the signed consent of the patient, guardian, or family member.
  5. No information will be released before the next-of-kin has been notified and all reasonable efforts to locate the next-of-kin have been exhausted.
  6. The names and conditions of Emergency Department patients who are treated and released will not be released to the media.

Patient Interviews

  1. By Hennepin Healthcare policy, patients’ privacy is respected and protected at all times.
  2. All reporters must be escorted by a hospital Public Relations representative when on Hennepin Healthcare property.
  3. All requests to interview patients/family members must be submitted to the Public Relations Department by calling 612-873-5719. We understand that reporters want the opportunity to talk to the persons involved, and as appropriate, we make every effort to accommodate media requests for interviews, but our patients’ health and privacy come first. We consult with the medical staff and consider the patient/family’s unique situation prior to submitting interview requests, and then every attempt is made to deliver the request in the order it was received.

Please remember — even if the patient contacts you to make arrangements for an interview, it is still dependent on approval from the medical staff and Public Relations before final arrangements will be made. Again, all reporters must be escorted by a hospital Public Relations representative when on medical center property.

All media requests can be submitted using the Media Request form.

Info About Emergency Events

Information for Reporters During an Emergency Event

If there is a large-scale emergency situation or event that generates significant media interest, we may not be able to respond quickly to individual requests for information.  We will do everything possible to get the most up-to-date information to you in a prompt, efficient manner.

Stay tuned to this page for information during an emergency. Updates will also be provided on our social media pages on Twitter @hennepinhc or on our Facebook page @hennepinhc.

All media requests can be submitted using the Media Request form.