St. Luke's Disaster/Crisis Guidelines
All St. Luke's Locations

If a disaster occurs, patient care is the first priority. However, any of your requests or needs will be met as soon as possible. Please familiarize yourself with the following plan:

• If a disaster situation exists, all members of the media are required to show media identification to gain admittance to St. Luke's or its facilities.
  
• Updates will be provided regularly in the media section of our website.
  
• Media personnel are to enter St. Luke's by the main entrance only. Upon entering the hospital, members of the media are to check in at the main information desk. A representative will escort the media to a designated area. Media representatives will be given an identification badge to fill out and wear at all times while on the hospital's premises if they do not have a picture identification badge from their own organization.
  
• A member of the Public Relations staff will act as official hospital spokesperson, unless specific medical information is necessary, in which case, a medical spokesperson will be designated by the hospital's administration.
  
• The Public Relations staff will release information in at least 60-minute intervals or as news occurs. Information will be announced verbally and then distributed to all media personnel in printed form. This information will also be posted on the Disaster/Crisis Information Center section of the web site. If media personnel request information by telephone, information will be released at 60-minute intervals or as it occurs by conference call or by individual calls to the media outlet. Questions from the media will be accepted after the call, and if the answer is not known at that time, the information will be gathered and given during the next conference call or an individualized response will be provided.
  
• If the hospital opens its Press Center, question cards will be circulated for you to write specific requests and questions. The answers will be written on the card and returned to you. If several media personnel ask the same question, the answer will be released during the conference call or briefing.
  
• Requests for information or interviews should be made to the medical center's public relations staff only. Media representatives who attempt to circumvent the communication process by obtaining unauthorized interviews or by releasing information not confirmed by the public relations staff will politely be asked to leave the media center and the hospital.
  
• The Public Relations Department will facilitate and coordinate media access to the hospital, administrators, physicians, religious personnel, patients, family and friends during the crisis. We want media to get the story while protecting the privacy of any victims and maintaining uninterrupted medical care. To expedite access and information flow media personnel will be asked to remain in the disaster media center at all times except for meals and personal necessity unless escorted by a Public Relations representative to family or victim interviews, etc. Electrical outlets for computers, telephones and private offices will be available for those who need them. Drinks and food will be available in the media center as announced. Restrooms are located near the media center. Cell phones and other wireless technologies have been known to interfere with critical life-saving equipment in hospitals, therefore, general cell phone or wireless technology use within the hospital is restricted. There are designated "safe zones" (including the disaster media center) where cell phones may be used.
  
• St. Luke's adheres to HIPPA regulations and the American Hospital Association Guidelines for release of information.