About Us

Media

Supporting your stories

At Adventist Health Tillamook, we genuinely value the media and have a team dedicated to assisting you with gathering information and interviews to enhance your stories. We welcome you to visit our campus and offices in the presence of one of our representatives, and will do everything we can to accommodate you within the parameters of our policies.

Hospital guidelines for patient privacy

To protect patient privacy and confidentiality, and to accommodate requests for interviews and information in a timely and accurate manner, we ask members of the media to follow these guidelines:

  • All requests for patient conditions must go through the marketing and communication department.
  • While on hospital property, all media representatives must be accompanied by a marketing and communication representative at all times.
  • Anyone entering the hospital with a camera (still or video) must be accompanied by a marketing and communication representative.
  • All requests for filming of any type must be made in advance by calling the marketing and communication department.
  • All patients who agree to be interviewed, photographed or filmed on hospital property for any reason must provide written consent to the marketing and communication department. Only patients who give this consent may be interviewed, photographed or filmed.

Federal guidelines for releasing information on the condition of patients

The implementation of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets standards that all health care institutions follow to safeguard patient privacy and confidentiality.

In general, information about a patient may be released if it is included in the hospital’s directory and if the patient has not specified that no information be released.

More specifically, Adventist Health Tillamook uses the following American Hospital Association (AHA) guidelines for the release of patient information to the public and the media.

Inquiries must identify the patient by name

Information about the patient’s general condition and location of an inpatient, outpatient, or emergency department patient may be released only if the inquiry specifically identifies the patient by name. No information may be given if a request does not include a specific patient’s name or if the patient requests the information not be released. This includes inquiries from the media.

Release of patient's general condition and location

As long as the patient has not requested information be withheld, the media relations team may release the patient's one-word condition and location to individuals who inquire about the patient by name, without obtaining prior patient authorization. This includes inquiries from the media.

Patient condition information

The marketing and communication department releases all official patient information to media. In keeping with the guidelines of the American Hospital Association, we provide a one-word patient condition — undetermined, good, fair, serious or critical — unless otherwise instructed by the patient. Patient conditions are defined in accordance with the following AHA standards:

  • Undetermined: Patient is awaiting physician and/or assessment.
  • Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. The patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
  • Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. The patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
  • Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. The patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
  • Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. The patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.

If a patient has not specified that no information may be released, the hospital may disclose that a patient was treated and released. However, without patient authorization, we may not release information to the media regarding the date of release or where the patient went upon release.

In summary, Adventist Health Tillamook may release patient condition and location information only if both of the following two conditions are met:

  1. The patient has not stated they do not want information released, including information confirming their presence in the hospital.
  2. In the hospital’s professional judgment, releasing such information would be in the patient’s best interest.

Death of a patient

Adventist Health Tillamook may report the death of a patient to the authorities, as required by law. Under HIPAA, hospitals cannot share information with the media on the specifics about sudden, violent, or accidental deaths or deaths from natural causes without the permission of the decedent’s next of kin or another legal representative. A hospital also may not disclose information regarding the date, time, or cause of death to the media. The coroner’s office or a patient’s family member or legal representative is the usual source of information about a patient’s death.