Welcome to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) News Room. Our goal is to make accessing ACH’s facilities and expert medical staff as easy and efficient as possible for members of the media. The Public Relations staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist local, regional and national news media in locating an expert spokesperson, obtaining information on a news item or answering questions about a news release or event.

Ways We Can Help

• View Recent Press Releases
• Find an Expert for Your Story
• Releasing Patient Conditions
• Schedule an Interview
• Download ACH Logos & Photos for Your Story
• The Latest ACH News Delivered to Your Desktop

Media Relations Procedures

The Public Relations department is available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CST, to schedule interviews, provide condition reports and arrange media visits to the hospital. Call 501-364-4300 for assistance. For condition reports after hours and on weekends or holidays, call the main hospital at 501-364-1100 and ask the operator to page the Public Relations staff member on call.

To best manage media requests, Arkansas Children’s Hospital has established the following media guidelines:

• Contact Public Relations to arrange all interviews with ACH patients, staff and physicians.
• Advance notice for on-site interviews is necessary so Public Relations staff can arrange a room for media interviews or photo shoots, notify the patient care areas involved and schedule the appropriate patients, families and/or staff.
• To protect the privacy of all ACH patients and families, a Public Relations staff member must accompany all reporters, film crews and photographers on campus.
• No photographs of, or interviews with, patients can be made without the signed consent of a parent or legal guardian, which will be obtained by an ACH Public Relations staff member only.
• A member of the public relations staff is always on call for media needs after hours, on weekends and holidays. You may reach that public relations staff member by calling the hospital operator at 501-364-1100.
• In the event that Arkansas Children’s Hospital will receive patients due to an external disaster (i.e. act of terrorism, plane crash, explosion, chemical spill, multiple vehicle accident, etc.), a media center will be set up on the ACH campus. Contact ACH Public Relations at 501-364-4300 or 501-364-1100 to find out where the center has been established.

Releasing Patient Conditions

Condition reports for a specific patient are available to members of the media by calling 501-364-4300 during regular business hours or 501-364-1100 after hours and asking for the Public Relations representative on call. Please note that we are unable to release information unless you can provide the patient’s first and last name.

If the patient's name is listed in the ACH Patient Directory, Public Relations may release a one-word condition (as defined below) on the patient. If requested, the location of the patient may also be given.

• 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 are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are questionable.
• Critical – Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.
• Deceased – One word statement only after next-of-kin has been notified.

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