GIA 2004 Excellence Winner

Media Campaigns

Duke University Medical Center

The Jesica Santillan Transplant Mismatch at Duke University Medical Center

The relationship between hospitals and the media is never smooth and is often tumultuous, especially when difficult news arises regarding the health of a patient. How the hospital faces the media and juggles the need for transparency and family privacy dictates how the public will view the institution's reputation in the future. Duke University Medical Center faced this problem when it mistakenly matched 17-year-old Jesica Santillan with a heart/lung transplant of the wrong blood type, ultimately leading to her death.

Goals

• Duke communications staff wanted to maintain an open information channel with the national media while respecting the family's right to and wish for privacy.
• The staff emphasized Duke's longstanding commitment to patient safety and released numerous press releases with Jesica's updated condition.
• Duke officials created a four-minute video of the transplant surgeon's statement in order to balance his need to care for Jesica against the many calls for interviews.

Results

• Duke's efforts to release pertinent information and accept responsibility for the medical error salvaged the institution's reputation and allowed it to retain the public's respect and trust.
• The school's cooperation with the media led to several articles and television stories that uncovered the inherent flaws in the organ donor system.

Read the full narrative (Word document)

Contact: Jeff Molter, Director, Duke University Medical Center and Health System News Office, molte001@mc.duke.edu

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