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Media Contact Information and Guidelines
UMC’s Public Relations department strives to make hospital, medical and other information as available as possible to the news media. If you need more information on a recent press release, are trying to locate an expert spokesperson, want more information on an upcoming event, or would like other medical information, please give us a call or e-mail us.

Contacts
Danita Cohen
Phone: 702-383-3987
Fax: 702-383-2774
E-mail: public.relations@umcsn.com

After Hours: Please call the On Duty Administrator at 702-383-2000.


Media Guidelines
UMC tries to accommodate media requests for interviews with physicians, nurses or other staff. However, please remember that the medical industry operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Given the circumstances on any particular day, at any particular hour, we may not be able to meet your deadline. The more notice you can provide, the better able we will be to accommodate your request and line up any personnel necessary.

Interviews, videotaping or photo opportunities at UMC require advance notice. This enables our staff to obtain all necessary consents, inform patient care staff, arrange an appropriate location, and notify physicians, nurses, other personnel, patients or families pertinent to the story.

In order to ensure patient privacy, patient information is limited to age, gender, and a one-word condition. Members of the media must provide the first and last name of a patient in order to obtain information.

UMC uses the four condition descriptions approved by the American Hospital Association.

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 not be conscious; indicators are unfavorable.

Stable is not a condition. Furthermore, this term should not be used in combination with other conditions, which by definition, often indicate a patient is unstable.