Mercyhealth has a variety of doctors and medical experts who can discuss a wide range of topics with the news media.
Members of the media may contact Marketing and Public Relations Monday-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm.
Media contact: Therese Michels
Phone: 815.971.5421
Email: tmichels@mhemail.org
For media inquiries outside of normal business hours or on weekends, call the appropriate hospital switchboard and ask for the public relations representative on call.
Switchboard numbers:
- Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside: 815.971.7000
- Javon Bea Hospital–Rockton: 815.971.5000
- Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center–Harvard: 815.943.5431
- Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center–Walworth: 262.245.0535
- Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center–Janesville: 608.756.6000
Media relations guidelines
To effectively welcome media to Mercyhealth, the Marketing and Public Relations department has established the following guidelines for arranging interviews, video recording sessions and photo opportunities. Call Marketing and Public Relations to arrange all interviews or background conversations with any member of Mercyhealth staff. The department tracks all inquiries from the media, and when appropriate, can provide additional or more sources for your story.
- Press must identify Mercyhealth staff by their Mercyhealth title in stories related to the staff member's work or role.
- Press are asked to use the complete name—Mercyhealth—when referring to Mercyhealth facilities, services, doctors, employees and patients.
- Advance notice of on-site interviews is necessary so media relations staff can arrange for a room for media interviews or photoshoots, notify the patient care areas involved and get permission from patients and families.
- Prior to interviewing, filming or photographing on-site, a signed release form must be obtained from the patient prior to the interview.
- To ensure patient confidentiality and privacy, a member of the Mercyhealth Marketing and Public Relations team must accompany all reporters, film crews and photographers at all Mercyhealth hospitals, clinics and facilities.
- Reporters inquiring about a patient's condition should contact a member of our media relations team with the individual's full name. HIPAA privacy laws prevent us from providing additional patient information, other than a one-word description. In some cases, you may be given a response from staff, "We have no information on that patient." That can mean:
- The patient has been transferred to another hospital.
- That person is not a patient at Mercyhealth.
- The patient and/or family has asked no information be released.
- The patient is under the age of 18.
- The family has not been notified of the incident or pending criminal investigation.