For Journalists

The public relations team at Aurora Health Care operates under the following guidelines and procedures:

To arrange interviews, press should contact public relations. A member of our team can help access a specialist. If the person a reporter requests is not available, we may be able to provide an alternative source.

Protecting the privacy of patients and families is our responsibility; it's also the law. Please do not come to our sites unannounced. Rather, contact public relations and we will find experts for interviews and connect you. We'll also make an effort to contact patients upon your request to ascertain their interest in being interviewed.

Ensuring patient confidentiality and privacy, and exhibiting sensitivity to all of the patients, families and employees at Aurora Health Care is of vital concern. Therefore, reporters, film crews and photographers must always be accompanied by a public relations team member while on any of the campuses.

To be photographed or videotaped at Aurora Health Care, patients or their legal guardians must sign a consent form. A member of our public relations team can arrange this.

Because of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) patients over 18 or their legal guardian must complete a release form before anyone who works at Aurora Health Care can release confidential information about a patient. A member of our public relations team can arrange consent

Reporters inquiring about a patient’s condition should contact a member of our public relations team, with the individual's full name.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provides federal protection for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information. At the same time, HIPAA is balanced so that it permits the disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes.

One-word conditions may be released if:

• The patient is an inpatient
• The media representative knows the spelling of the patient’s first and last name
• The patient is in the facility’s patient directory (patients may choose to opt out of the directory)

Protections for minors and behavioral health patients

• All information regarding minors is completely protected unless a parent or legal guardian provides a release for that information. This includes verifying whether the child is receiving care at any Aurora facility.
• Patient information will never be released in cases involving mental health, substance abuse or developmental disabilities. These instances are specifically protected by state and federal law.

Authorization for Public Disclosure of Health Information forms are needed to:

• Report a birth
• Give details beyond the one-word condition
• Conduct any interviews, take photographs, take video, etc.
• Perform interviews with Aurora representatives regarding a patient's condition

All patients have the option to be included in the hospital’s directory. If the patient chooses to be included in the directory, an Aurora public relations representative can get a one-word condition report regarding that patient.

What the words mean

Undetermined – The patient is awaiting physician assessment

Good – Vital signs are stable and within normal limits; patient is conscious and comfortable; indicators are excellent

Fair – Vital signs are stable and within normal limits; patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable; indicators are favorable

Serious – Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits; patient is acutely ill; indicators are questionable

Critical – Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits; patient may be unconscious; indicators are unfavorable

NOTE: No interviews with the media will take place without the patient’s prior authorization from an Aurora Health Care representative. Only information specified on the authorization form will be released.