Media relations procedures

Media relations staff in public affairs and communications are available 24 hours a day to assist local, regional and national news media in locating an expert spokesperson, obtaining information on a news item or answering questions about a news release or event.

Members of the news media must contact public affairs for any information about the hospital, its staff and its patients. To contact public affairs, call 773.880.4500 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. After hours or on weekends, call the main hospital at 773-880-4000, and ask the operator to page the public affairs staff member on call.

To best manage media requests, Children's Memorial has established the following media guidelines:

• Please call public affairs to arrange all interviews.
• Advance notice for on-site interviews is necessary so hospital staff can arrange for a room for media interviews or shoots, notify the patient care areas involved and line up the appropriate patients, families and staff.
• To protect the privacy of all Children's Memorial patients and families, public affairs must accompany all reporters, film crews and photographers on the hospital campus.
• No patient condition reports are released (other than a one-word description) to the media until public affairs receives consent from a patient's parent or guardian.