At Mount Nittany Health, information about a patient’s general condition may not be released to the media. No information may be given except to public authorities having a need to know until the next of kin have been notified.
As a medical center, the nature of services rendered is private and often quite personal. Legal factors, including the medical center’s responsibilities, as well as liabilities, must be a consideration in each situation. Although a hospital might be considered a public service institution, it is not an institution of open public record.