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University of Rochester Medical Center Public Relations and Communications
601 Elmwood Ave., Box 643
Rochester, N.Y. 14642
(585) 275-3676
fax: (585) 256-3805
The Public Relations and Communications Office is staffed 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. An on-call staff member is available for after-hours inquiries or emergencies from 5 to 11:30 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. weekends and holidays. To reach the on-call staff member, call (585) 275-2222 and ask to have the on-call public relations staff person paged. You should expect a phone call within one half-hour of your initial page.
To help expedite media inquiries, each member of our staff specializes in specific areas. If you do not find a particular issue listed, call (585) 275-3676 and we will connect you to the right staff member, or e-mail inquiries to teri_dagostino@urmc.rochester.edu.
Beat assignments
| Contact | Beats |
|---|---|
| Teri D'Agostino (Director) (585) 275-3676 |
Administrative issues Patient Safety/Quality |
| Lori Barrette (585) 275-1310 |
Gastronenterology Geriatrics Long-term Care Otolaryngology Pharmacy Plastic Surgery Women's Health |
| Karen Black (585) 273-2864 |
Dentistry |
| Emily Boynton (585) 273-1757 |
Anesthesiology (research) Biochemistry (research) Cardiology (research) Dermatology (research) Imaging Sciences (research) Metabolism (research) Pharmacology (research) Surgery (research) Women’s Health (research) |
| Karin Christensen (585) 275-1311 |
Center for Community Health Center for Primary Care Family Medicine Orthopaedics Physical Medicine and Rehab Emergency Medicine Liver and Kidney Transplant Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network |
| Carole Dowling (585) 275-0258 |
HIV/AIDS Vaccine Trials Unit Friends of Strong |
| Heather Hare (585) 273-2840 |
Pediatrics |
| Rebecca Jones (585) 275-8490 |
Allergies Infectious Diseases Rheumatology Surgery |
| Mark Michaud (585) 273-4790 |
Biotechnology/TechnologyTransfer Community and Preventive Medicine Economic Development Government Relations Neurology Urology |
| Leslie Orr (585) 275-5774 |
Biomedical Genetics Biostatistics Cancer (research) Emergency Medicine (research) Family Medicine (research) Orthopaedics (research) Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (research) Urology (research) |
| Tom Rickey (585) 275-7954 |
Biomedical Engineering (research) Center for Oral Biology (research) Environmental Medicine Infectious Diseases (research) Microbiology and Immunology (research) Neurobiology/Anatomy Neurology (research) Neurosurgery (research) Ophthalmology (research) Otolaryngology (research) Rheumatology (research) |
| Christine Roth (585) 273-4494 |
Nursing Education and Research |
| Katie Sauer (585) 276-4298 |
Pediatrics |
| Michael Tedesco (585) 276-5788 |
Cancer |
| Michael Wentzel (585) 275-1309 |
Behavioral Health Medical Education (School of Medicine and Dentistry) Nursing -- Clinical Practice Kessler Burn and Trauma Center |
| Leslie White (585) 273-1119 |
Cardiology Cardiac Surgery Heart Transplant Vascular Surgery Pulmonary Endocrine General Medicine Nephrology Ophthalmology Imaging Sciences Neurosurgery |
Arranging interviews
We are happy to connect you with the sources you need for your stories. Advanced notice is appreciated, and often leads to more access for you. We urge you to first call or E-mail us about your story, even if you have direct contact information for your source. Often, we can supply you with background information, or additional sources if your first choice does not work out.
Without exception, TV crews and photographers must receive permission from our office before taping or broadcasting on Medical Center grounds. We can help scout out locations for your shoots and alert security to ensure your filming goes smoothly.
Patient conditions
On April 14, 2003, a new federal law (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) went into effect that greatly limits the information that can be given on hospital patients. Among HIPAA’s provisions are standards for releasing medical information about patients to the media. Hospitals now maintain a directory that includes only a patient's name, location in the hospital, general condition and religious affiliation. Patients have the choice to be included in the directory or to opt out. If a patient chooses to be listed in the directory, limited information on the patient may be released as long as a reporter has a patient’s correct first and last name. In addition, HIPAA does not allow the release of any information on a minor (under age 18), regardless if a name is supplied, without specific prior consent by the parent.
Patient conditions can be accessed by calling (585) 275-2181. If a reporter has the correct first and last name of a patient, and that patient has not opted out of the system, Strong Memorial Hospital can supply a reporter only with one of the following general conditions:
- Under Evaluation
- Treated and Released
- Satisfactory
- Guarded
- Deceased
Conditions of patients in the emergency department generally will be available only when they have the opportunity to opt-in or out of the directory. Again, without a name, we are unable to release any information, and will tell you “we have no information on a patient by that name.”
If a reporter does not ask for the patient by the correct full name, information cannot be released. Nor can we confirm if a patient is at our hospital if he/she has opted out of the directory, even if the police confirm that a crime victim has been sent to Strong Memorial.
If you have questions about HIPAA, please contact the Public Relations office at (585) 275-3676 or view HIPAA information on the American Hospital Association website.
University of Rochester Broadcast Studio
The University of Rochester has partnered with VideoLink and WXXI Public Broadcasting to create an on-campus broadcast studio to provide reliable, responsive, and live broadcast-quality television shots from the Rochester campus.
The studio uses VideoLink’s ReadyCam system. The Rochester studio is remotely controlled by technicians in VideoLink’s offices in Boston who coordinate with network broadcast engineers. The University’s ReadyCam feed is made available through a satellite uplink service provided by WXXI. Technical coordinates for downlinking live shots are provided by VideoLink at the time of booking.
The studio is available 24/7 and equipped with an electronic backdrop (examples of backdrop images are below).
Backdrops:
URMC repeating background
Bookshelf background 1
Bookshelf background 2
University of Rochester and skyline background
To book a guest from the University of Rochester Medical Center, contact the Office of Public Relations and Communications at 585 275-3676. Once the guest is confirmed, book the studio and uplink by calling VideoLink at 617-340-4300.
