Along with successfully meeting our mission objectives of caring for patients, educating future health care providers and conducting life-saving research, we recognize the importance for UTMB to communicate publicly through various media outlets. Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we share factual, science-based information with our community and to do so; however, it is vital that we coordinate our communications efforts with UTMB’s Office of Media Relations.

One of the ways we communicate our work is through our researchers, providers, and educators conducting interviews with local, state, national, and international news media.  But it’s equally important that all UTMB faculty, staff, and students understand that UTMB does have a policy related to how media interviews are to be conducted. As a reminder, the UTMB Media Relations policy—defined by Institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures Policy 02.09.01—stipulates, in part: 

“Faculty, staff, and students who are contacted by the media must direct the inquirer to the UTMB Media Relations team. A UTMB Media Relations representative will follow up with the inquirer to obtain details regarding the context, scope, and timing of the request. The Media Relations team member will also determine the best spokesperson to comment or to be interviewed on a given topic. Requests for interviews will be respectfully declined by a member of the Media Relations team if the opportunity for media coverage is not in the best interest of UTMB.

“Staff, students, and faculty members who, in their official capacity at UTMB, author editorial works (OpEds, guest columns, Letters to the Editor) shall submit their work, in advance, to the Media Relations Office prior to submission.

“While UTMB does not seek or intend to infringe upon an individual’s First Amendment rights, editorial comment developed as a representative of UTMB should reflect, promote, and align with UTMB’s mission. The Media Relations Office will collaborate with the author to ensure publication of such material in the appropriate news outlet.”

If you are contacted by a member of the media as part of your official capacity at UTMB, please direct the inquiry to the UTMB Media Relations team via email at utmbnews@utmb.edu or by calling the Media Relations hotline at (409) 772-6397 before conducting an interview with a media representative.

Thank you in advance for working together to ensure that the information we provide to our communities is accurate and balanced and supports our important mission work as we improve health in Texas and beyond.

Sincerely yours,

Charles P. Mouton, MD, MS, MBA
President ad interim
Executive Provost and Executive Dean
Thomas N. and Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair