Reporting injuries

Ahh, fucking Hippa laws - just about the stupidest and most misinterpreted law in the history of our federal government.

Just FYI for anyone else who comes in contact with some idiot saying they can't release someone's medical condition: This is only true if the person is someone in the medical field such as a doctor, nurse, pharmacist and EMT who treated them. They all have laws governing them and penalties attached to those laws.

Can a coach, police officer, principal, reverend, parent, friend, teacher legally tell you if someone has a broken thumb, ankle or a herpes breakout on their ass? Yes. They are not bound by Hippa in any way.

I get injury information from cops all the time because most hospitals and EMS departments have taken Hippa way, way too far to the point some don't want to even give you the most general information.

EMTs can tell you a person's condition if they don't tell you the person's name, such as the guy in the car wreck today had a head injury but now treat that information like it's their bank card pin.

I remember a story not too long ago that a church would no longer tell the congregation why they were praying for so-and-so who was in the hospital and couldn't make the service today because someone invoked the Hippa card. Bullshit.

As for the Paris Hilton case, the sheriff and jail was right not to release her illness because in this case it "treated" her. But I'm sure her "illness" will come to light (if it already hasn't) at some point just because the sheriff's office is running it and deputies like to yap.

 

Unless a trained professional (doctor, lawyer, nurse) or the person tells you the extent of injury, tread very lightly.

 

Your SE is an idiot. Someone should call him out on it one night, especially if you can catch him not editing injuries or "negative" news out of other stories.

 

Whatever, Boots. :

No doctor, nurse or lawyer is going to give you someone's medical history unless it's OK'd by the family. Should you get confirmation if someone outside the coach or a parent tells you what the injury is? Absolutely. Just like anything else.

 

Also, it is my understanding that athletes at the Division I NCAA level sign a waiver that states that their injury information can be released.
I have gotten coaches and trainers to admit that they were using HIPPA as a smokescreen, and none of the ones I talked to even really understood the rules.

 

Apparently I am not a good high school reporter because I have no idea what FERPA is. Care to share?

 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Like HIPPA, but for educational matters involving schools at all levels. An old law, but I believe it was given additional enforcement teeth by the Bush Administration.

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html


It means educational records (including test scores, grades, attendance information, class schedules, etc.) cannot be released by the school without written consent from the student or parent/guardian of a minor student.

Technically, if a coach tells you Johnny Jumpshot is not on the roster because he is academically ineligible, the coach is in violation of FERPA. If Johnny tells you himself, it's cool. Likewise, if the athletic director tells you Susie Swimmer is being recruited by Harvard because she got a 34 on her ACT, he's in violation of FERPA.

 

babs wouldn't have run the hilton info anyway. sleeping well is a big thing with babs, you know.

 

Report the injury. Report what you can see -- the ice, the bandage, if it made a difference in play. Report what they say -- even if they say they don't or won't talk about it. Report for duty the next time and take the grief with a smile, because that's the job.

 

Anyone who works in a hospital is under the HIPPA rule. Even a receptionist isn't allowed to give out info. Wife has worked in hospitals for years, so I'll go with what she knows.

But a coach, principal, etc., they can tell you anything they want to. Or not tell you

I've never had a problem reporting if a kid is injured, especiallyu is it could make a difference to a team. If Johnny QB gets mono and is out for a while from kissing Mary Jane Rottencrotch, that's news. I wouldn't necessarily mention HOW he got it.

 

How do you handle it when parents or coaches jump into an interview and tell you not to write about this or ask about that?
You don't want them to think you're caving into them, but for the sake of not having some explaining to do to the boss, you don't want to sound like to total dickhead, either.

 

If your boss wouldn't support you in telling a parent who's trying to steer your interview to get bent, then you need to get a new boss.