Jump to: HIPAA, TV Interviews, Live Shot Area, Audio Interviews, Map and Directions

General Information

Duke University Medical Center News Office is a full-service news office available 24 hours a day, every day, to respond to inquiries from the media. We are dedicated to quickly respond to media requests and encourage you to call our office if you have questions about Duke University Health System or Duke University Medical Center. The News Office also can assist you in contacting Duke Med experts in a wide variety of medical specialties. How to reach us:

• During Business Hours:  For media requests during business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday), call the Medical Center News Office, (919) 684-4148.
• Evenings and weekends:  A public information officer is on call to respond to general media inquiries and patient condition updates until 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. Page the on-call public information officer at (919) 970-3671.
• Overnight hours — breaking news:  Between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Eastern time, a public information officer is available to respond to media requests related to breaking news stories. Page the on-call public information officer at (919) 970-3671. Please do not page the on-call public information officer for patient condition updates during overnight hours.

Please note: News Office staff must escort all broadcast media and photographers while on the Medical Center campus. Please contact us to arrange all video graphic and photographic shoots.

HIPAA

The Federal government began enforcing HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) April 14, 2003. These regulations are intended to protect the privacy of medical information.

The Duke Medical Center and Health System News Office is committed to continuing to provide excellent service to media, while guaranteeing that we comply with HIPAA regulations. To that end, we have made minor changes in our practices regarding release of patient information.

Patient Conditions: Reporters frequently call or page the Medical Center News Office to request the condition of patients at Duke University Hospital and (after hours) Durham Regional Hospital. In most cases, we are able to provide a one-word condition indicating that the person is listed in good, fair, serious or critical condition, or that the person is deceased or has been discharged. We will continue to release all of these conditions, but in the case of deceased patients, we will no longer provide date or time of death. We will also continue our existing practice of not releasing any information about patients whose injuries resulted from violent crime.

Patient Sources: We are often asked to identify patients who would be willing to speak about a particular medical condition or treatment. While we expect no change in our ability to locate those patients for you, our internal practices have changed to some degree to comply with HIPAA regulations and we anticipate that in some cases we will not be able to identify patients with the speed you may be accustomed to. As always, we will do everything within our means to meet reporters' deadlines.

TV Interviews

Duke provides on-campus studio facilities to the broadcast news media for live or live-to-tape interviews of Duke Med faculty, administrators and staff. We have a direct link to Microspace Communications Corporation for uplinking to C and Ku band satellite, as well as VYVX fiberoptic for television. Call (919) 684-4148 or page (919) 970-3671 to schedule an interview.

Live Shot Area

Our live shot area has been moved to Fulton Street as it connects to Erwin Road (across the street from the Duke University Hospital entrance). That area is available for broadcast use 24 hours per day. Please use this area and do not set up in the Duke Hospital circle, as that blocks traffic. Please note there is no parking in this particular area; TV trucks will have to be moved to nearby side streets.

Audio Interviews

Our studios are equipped with ISDN connectivity using either the g.722 or Musicam transmission mode. Call (919) 684-4148 or page (919) 970-3671 to schedule an interview.

Map and Directions to News Office

Duke University Medical Center News Office is located in the Wachovia Building at Erwin Center. To view this location through Google Maps, click here.

Address :
Duke University Medical Center News Office
2200 W. Main St
Suite 910-B
Durham NC 27705

Driving Directions

From Greensboro and Points West
* Take I-40 E
* Slight left at I-85 N
* Slight right at NC-147 S (signs for Downtown/Durham/Research Triangle Park/NC-147 S)
* Take the Swift Ave exit toward Ninth St/Duke University East Campus
* Turn left at Swift Ave
* Turn left at W Main St

From RDU Airport, Raleigh and Points East
* Take I-40 W toward Chapel Hill/Durham
* Take exit 279B to merge onto NC-147 N toward Downtown/Durham
* Take the Swift Ave exit toward US-70/Ninth St/Duke University East Campus
* Turn right at Swift Ave
* Turn left at W Main St

From Chapel Hill
* Take US-15 N/US-501 N
* Take exit 108BCD for US-70-BR/Hillsborough Rd/NC-147/Durham Frwy toward US-70 W/I-85 S
* Keep left at the fork to continue toward Hillsborough Rd/US-70-BR
* Take exit 108D for US-70-BR/Hillsborough Rd
* Turn right at Hillsborough Rd/US-70-BR
* Turn right at 15th St
* Turn left at W Main St