El Paso Children’s Hospital requires all local, national and international media requests to abide by our Media Policy Guidelines.

El Paso Children’s Hospital is responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our patients and patient information under HIPAA Privacy Regulations and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). El Paso Children’s Hospital Media Policy ensures that our actions are consistent with HIPAA and HHS.

A. El Paso Children’s Hospital prohibits the media from contacting patients directly.

B. To request an interview with a physician or a patient family at El Paso Children’s Hospital, please contact the Marketing Department or other designated representative, who will work quickly to accommodate the request.

C. El Paso Children’s Hospital Marketing Department or other designated representative will help you navigate the hospital by helping identify physicians, staff or families appropriate for your story; identify the appropriate space, outdoor location or conference room to conduct your interview; and coordinate any necessary photo or b-roll shoots at the hospital.

D. El Paso Children’s Hospital requires that any journalist, reporter and news photographer visiting the hospital be escorted by the Marketing Department or other designated representative while on the hospital campus at all times.

E. All references to El Paso Children’s Hospital should include the hospital’s full name, “El Paso Children’s Hospital,” or can be referred to as EPCH (not “the Children’s Hospital” or “El Paso Children’s” or any other substitutes).

F. All references to interviews arranged through El Paso Children’s Hospital must identify the subject by their El Paso Children’s Hospital title and, when possible, the physician’s El Paso Children’s Hospital title.

G. El Paso Children’s Hospital requires a signed Authorization Release from the parent of any patient under 18, or from a patient who is over 18, before granting an interview, releasing medical information, or permitting the patient to be photographed.

H. El Paso Children’s Hospital may deny the media access to any area.

I. El Paso Children’s Hospital prohibits disclosing any patient information to the media without patient permission and parent or guardian authorization.

J. HIPAA Privacy Regulations require El Paso Children’s Hospital to only release a one-word description of a patient’s condition, provided that the requesting reporter has the patient’s first and last name and the patient has not opted out of the hospital directory or unless the patient has consented to release of additional information,

K. The following are the acceptable hospital condition descriptions, as defined by HIPAA:

1.  Undetermined- Patient is awaiting physician and/or assessment.
2.  Good-Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
3.  Fair-Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
4.  Serious-Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
5.  Critical- Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.

L. Releasing Patient Information in Disaster Situations
In disaster situations, El Paso Children’s Hospital may state the number of patients brought to the facility by gender or by age group (adults, children, teenagers, etc.).

1.  If information is not yet available or if next-of-kin has not been notified, all media inquiries will be logged and callbacks made as soon as it is permissible to release information.
2.  Information will be made available to the media as soon as possible
3.  A location will be provided for all media to gather that does not compromise patient privacy or the health care facility’s need for added security in a disaster situation.