The Division of Public Affairs is responsible for the release of information about the Medical Center to local and national media. For general inquiries, call (601) 984-1100. Public Affairs is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday thru Friday. After hours, contact the switchboard at (601) 984-1000 and press '0' for the live operator, who can connect you with the public affairs employee on call.
Resources for the media
Condition Reports
Condition reports on patients are available only through Public Affairs. The patient's full name must be provided in accordance with patient confidentiality laws.
A report of a patient's death is not released until family members have been notified. Only the coroner's office is authorized to provide information about cause of death, but Public Affairs may provide the time of death.
For condition reports from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, call Public Affairs at (601) 984-1100. On weekends and holidays call (601) 984-1000 and ask the operator to page the Public Affairs staff member on call.
Patient Privacy and Consent Forms
In compliance with Medical Center policy, and to ensure federal patient privacy standards are upheld for all hospital and clinic patients and their families, a staff member from Public Affairs must accompany all reporters and photographers while on the Medical Center's property. The staff member must obtain signed consent forms from patients who appear in video or photographs, who participate in interviews and/or who agree to the release of information about their medical history.
Meeting in Public Affairs Office
Because of the large size of the campus, it is often easier for reporters and staff members to meet in the Public Affairs office in the Verner S. Holmes Learning Resource Center before going on to the location of an interview. To get to the Verner Holmes Center, enter from Lakeland Drive at the north side of campus. From Lakeland Drive, turn into campus at the traffic light marked "UMC Lakeland Drive Entrance" and continue south into campus until the road ends at a 'T'. At that point, the two-story Verner Holmes Center is directly in front of you to the south. Turn left to go to the parking lot gate. The Public Affairs office is on the first floor of the Verner Holmes Center. Click here for a map.
Titles and Supers
A Public Affairs staff member will provide media with the name and title of the faculty or staff member to be interviewed. In media coverage, please identify each person's affiliation with the Medical Center (such as assistant professor of radiology, neurosurgeon, nutritionist, chairman of the Department of Anatomy, etc.)
Mail, E-mail and Fax List
Call (601) 984-1100 if you'd like to be added to the Medical Center's mail, e-mail or fax list for news releases or media advisories. This Week at UMC, our weekly campus newsletter, is available by mail; call 984-1100 if you would like to be added to the newsletter mailing list.
Localizing National Stories
Many national news stories about advancements in medicine, scientific studies and other health issues may be localized at the Medical Center. Public Affairs staff members, when appropriate, will identify physicians, scientists, administrators or other staff members who are experts in specific fields; set up interviews; and determine photo or video/B-roll possibilities. The more information Public Affairs obtains (wire reports, etc.) about a national story, the more we can help reporters in locating the proper person to speak about a specific issue or report in the news.
Localized Features
Because we treat patients from all of Mississippi's 82 counties, Public Affairs receives frequent requests for local patient features. Staff members always are willing to try to identify a patient from a specific Mississippi community so that its local media may follow the patient's progress. For instance, local media may be interested in finding a feature on a patient in the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, or a local resident who is receiving a specialized procedure that isn't performed anywhere else in the state or nation.
Public Service Announcements
Public Affairs sends out public service announcements (PSAs) by e-mail about a variety of free Medical Center screenings and research or clinical studies. These help the Medical Center and the media keep the public informed.
