Media Guidelines

Interview Guidelines

Lee Health Media Relations has established the following guidelines for reporters seeking patient and/or staff interviews:

• Media must arrange and coordinate all interviews and photo shoots with Lee Health patients and staff in advance (including Lee Health Memorial Hospital, Healthpark Medical Center, Gulf Coast Medical Center, Cape Coral Hospital and Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida through Lee Health Media Relations.
• Media must be met by a Media Relations representative in the hospital lobby or otherwise specified location, and escorted to the interview location.
• Media personnel must sign a HIPAA Confidentiality Agreement for Media Personnel when inside our facilities
• Film crews, photographers and reporters must ALWAYS be accompanied by a member of Media Relations while on Lee Health properties to ensure confidentiality, privacy and sensitivity to patients and their families.
• Patients and staff who agree to be interviewed or filmed must sign a ‘Photography and Recording Consent’ form. If a patient is under 18 years of age, a legal guardian must sign on his or her behalf.
• A member of the Lee Health Media Relations may deny the media access to a patient if it is determined the presence of a photographer or reporter will aggravate the patient’s condition or interfere with the appropriate clinical care.

Media Seeking Patient Information

Lee Health Media Relations has established the following guidelines for reporters seeking patient information:

• Media must contact a member of the Media Relations staff to obtain a one-word description of a patient’s condition. In accordance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the patient MUST be listed in the hospital directory. A member of the Media Relations staff will use the following terms to describe a patient’s condition after a first and last name of the patient is provided:
  • Undetermined: Patient’s condition is being assessed and medical staff has not yet assigned a condition.
  • Good: Vital signs such as pulse, temperature and blood pressure are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and may be comfortable. Outlook for recovery is good or excellent.
  • Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable or have minor complications. Favorable outlook.
  • Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. There is a chance for improved outlook.
  • Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may not be conscious. Questionable outlook. Death may be imminent.
  • Treated and Released: Patient received treatment but was not admitted.
  • Discharged: Patient has been released.
• Media may obtain patient conditions after hours by calling the Lee Health operators at 239-343-2000 and asking for the House Supervisor.