Media Policy

St. Francis Medical Center often receives requests from local media seeking expert commentary on current trends in healthcare, information on the latest technology, or inspirational stories about the patients in our care.

To request an interview with any employee of St. Francis Medical Center or St. Francis Medical Group, or a St. Francis Medical Center patient or patient’s family member, please contact the Marketing/Public Relations Director at (318) 966-7356, who will work quickly to accommodate your request.

A member of the Marketing/Public Relations team will meet you at a designated location, and escort you to the appropriate clinic space, outdoor location or conference room to conduct your interview, as well as coordinate any necessary photo or b-roll shoots at the hospital.

We require that any journalist and/or news photographer visiting the hospital be escorted by a member of the Marketing/Public Relations team while on any of our hospital campuses.

Additionally, we request that references to the hospital include the hospital’s full name, St. Francis Medical Center, and when appropriate, the physician’s name, specialty and St. Francis Medical Group affiliation information.

To protect patient privacy under the HIPAA law, the Marketing/Public Relations team is only authorized to release a one-word patient condition without signed consent, provided the requesting reporter has the patient’s first and last name, and provided the family has not opted out of the hospital directory.

The following are the official hospital conditions, as defined by HIPAA:

Undetermined– Patient awaiting physician assessment.
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 be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.

Additionally, we require the parent of any patient under 18, or a patient who is over 18, to sign a consent/photo release form before granting an interview, releasing medical information, or being photographed.