Thank you for visiting the Saint Francis Health System Media Policy page. Saint Francis Marketing and Corporate Communications manages media inquiries for all of Saint Francis Health System. This includes every patient, department, physician office/building and grounds within the following:
- Saint Francis Hospital;
- Saint Francis Children's Hospital;
- Heart Hospital at Saint Francis;
- Warren Clinic (physician offices and urgent care facilities);
- Warren Clinic (within the Saint Francis Medical Park);
- Saint Francis Hospital South;
- Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital;
- Saint Francis Glenpool;
- Saint Francis Health Centers;
- Saint Francis Hospital Muskogee;
- Saint Francis Hospital Vinita; and
- Saint Francis Home Care Companies.
Media Policies and Procedures
Saint Francis Marketing and Corporate Communications handles all public relations and corporate communications. A representative can be reached during normal business hours, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday at 918-494-1448. After hours, a representative can be reached by calling the main hospital operator at 918-494-2200 and asking for the marketing representative on-call.
Important Information: Media Requests for Interview/Filming
- To ensure the confidentially of our patients, members of the media must be accompanied by a member of Saint Francis Marketing, or a marketing designated representative, while on the property of any Saint Francis Health System facility.
- Advance notice and permission is required for all media interviews or photographs with Saint Francis Health System patients, patient families, administrators, physicians, employees and volunteers. These requests must be cleared through and set up with the marketing department.
- All patients or legal guardians must sign a consent form provided by marketing before any photos or video may be taken.
- If an interview/photo/video has been set up directly with a patient's family and it is to be conducted on a Saint Francis Health System property, all procedures above must still be followed.
- Any member of the media who enters a Saint Francis Health System property without clearance, within the context of conducting a story, will be asked to leave the campus until proper clearance is received through Saint Francis Marketing and Corporate Communications.
- Access to any area of any Saint Francis Health System property may be limited or denied at the discretion of a patient’s healthcare team and/or by Saint Francis Marketing aCorporate Communications.
Patient Condition Reports
Saint Francis Health System follows federal guidelines regarding patient confidentiality as outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996. Patient health information will be released to the media in strict accordance with HIPAA. This ensures our organization safeguards the privacy and integrity of our patients and their personal health information.
One-word conditions are permitted so long as requesting media outlets provide the first and last name of the patient in question. The conditions are defined as:
- UNDETERMINED — Patient is awaiting, or in the middle of, physician assessment.
- NO INFORMATION — A patient or patient representative has requested that no information be released.
- 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 may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious and indicators are unfavorable.
Condition reports are not available for patients at Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital.
Special Cases
Please note that patients involved in matters of public record, such as those involved in an assault or other crimes, are often listed on “protective status.” Saint Francis cannot provide any information pertaining to the patient’s condition, or even confirm they are in the hospital. In some of these cases, media inquiries may be referred to a more appropriate public agency.
High Profile and/or Mass Casualty Events
In the case of a high profile event and/or large scale incidents or disasters within the community, media will not be permitted in any emergency room or patient care areas. A designated location may be provided on hospital grounds for media updates. In some instances, media information may also be centralized through a city/county emergency response agency.
If there is an incident at Saint Francis Health System location, media will not be permitted near that site and will be redirected to a designated location for updates.
Visiting Groups and Media Requests
If you are a member of a community organization that has scheduled a visit to a Saint Francis Health System facility (such as Saint Francis Children's Hospital or the Saint Francis Cancer Center), please be aware that photographs, videos or audio recordings may not be taken of any patients, family members or hospital staff without approved prior consent
All press releases and/or media invitations for a planned hospital visit must be submitted to Saint Francis Marketing and Communications for approval at least two weeks prior to a scheduled visit. If approved, all media policies and procedures must still be followed in these instances.
For more information, please call Saint Francis Marketing and Communications at 918-494-1448.