Media Contact

Tara Bauer
Director of Marketing & Public Relations

RELEASE OF INFORMATION TO THE NEWS MEDIA

All inquiries from the news media regarding Ocala Regional Medical Center and West Marion Community Hospital events, expansion and building plans, specialized programs, research reports, personnel changes, unusual medical cases and interactions between the hospitals and the community must be referred to the Director of Marketing and Public Relations. The Director, in conjunction with the CEO, or assigned personnel, will provide the news media with the appropriate information as “spokesperson” for the hospital.

The Director of Marketing and Public Relations also must be informed whenever news media is on hospital property. At night/weekends/holidays, the Nursing Administrative Supervisor of each facility must be notified.

MEDIA ACCESS

The Marketing Department is staffed until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. If the news media calls after 5:00 p.m., the call should go to a nursing supervisor, who may handle calls which request a condition report on a patient and a “one word” condition may be given if the caller provides the full and proper name of the patient. If the caller is requesting more information, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations should be contacted at that time. 

Press will not be allowed in patient areas without permission of the Director of Marketing and Public Relations or Administration.

Patient areas include patient waiting areas, such as ER lobbies and hospital public lobbies.

Press must be escorted by the Director of Marketing and Public Relations, or designee, when at Ocala Regional Medical Center or West Marion Community Hospital on business.

Relatives who choose to be interviewed should do so outside or in a place that does not interfere with other families or patients.

Photographs taken outside the ER, in front of any hospital or in parking lots, are not subject to photographic consent/approval.

TV and print cameras/photographers (i.e., filming the arrival of patients) must remain 20 feet back from the patient and from all entrances into the emergency department.

In cases where permission is granted for photography (still or video), photography may only be allowed with the written permission of the patient, guardian or verbal permission of employees (if in the picture) or physician.

If a patient cannot be identified, a signed form is not required.