![]() Part of this involves a reluctance to hire more security staff. While 49% of hospitals reported an increase in crime between 20, nearly 1 in 4 hospitals (23%) reported a decrease in its hospital security budget over the same period. An employee at the Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Westover Hills in San Antonio, TX admitted to stealing over $400,000 worth of equipment because “it was easy and no one asked any questions.” Hospital theft is a good indication of a vulnerable security system, and also contributes to unnecessary overhead costs. As a single example, the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA counted 383 stolen pieces of equipment between 20, totaling to over $11 million in value.Ĭulprits include patients, visitors, and also staff. By 2015, this number rose to 2,926 – a 166% increase. In 2009, hospitals reported 272 incidents of theft. Supplies and property theftįrom drugs, food, and medical supplies, you could make an A-Z list of items that are stolen from healthcare facilities. This can be further reinforced with badges that identify the security clearance of medical staff. For example, access to maternity wards should be limited to qualified personnel or individuals who can prove their relationship to a patient. The system does not need to be complex, but it should be effective. In response, hospitals have cracked down on security measures and patient education practices that directly address this type of risk. Before more advanced security protocols came to form, many of the perpetrators disguised themselves as medical personnel to steal a child, usually from the hands of the mother. The majority of cases of infant abduction occur in the mother’s hospital room, with violence inflicted on the mother in 8% of cases. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 317 cases of infant abductions occurred between 19. Infant abduction is the most common type of abduction in healthcare facilities. Morris, the Director of Corporate Security for Tri-Health puts it, “It’s all about preparation and telling people about developing the right mindset so they can be more prepared.” 3. They hired actors to practice emergency response to a hospital shooting. The code has since changed to “Active Shooter,” along with other modifications to improve overall hospital security.īethesda Butler Hospital in Hamilton, Ohio is working to enhance training. However, most staff did not know what the code meant, let alone how to react. When the shooter entered the hospital and shot a patient, “Code Silver” was announced to all staff members. A recent active shooter situation at Dartmouth-Hitchock Medical Center exhibited the need for a much more comprehensive security approach. Breaking this down, the majority of in-hospital shootings happened in the emergency room (29%), next to the parking lot (23%), and in patient rooms (19%).Īs recent stories exemplify, simply having a plan is not enough. Researchers at Brown University reported 241 hospital shootings between 20. Other high-risk groups include emergency departments, geriatrics, pediatrics, and behavioral health providers. In other cases, patients may suffer from instabilities due to addiction or mental health issues.Īt highest risk of patient-inflicted violence are psychiatric aides, who are more than ten times at higher risk than nursing assistants, the second-most affected group. For one, patients may be victims of an incident caused by a dispute, creating a hostile or volatile environment inside the hospital. There are many reasons that contribute to this. 80% of serious violent incidents reported in healthcare settings were caused by interactions with patients and were usually caused by patients hitting, kicking, beating, and/or shoving medical staff. Abuse and battery towards medical staffĪssault and battery towards medical staff are the most common types of abuse-related injuries to occur within healthcare facilities. Here are some of the top security issues concerning hospitals today: 1. The first step to designing an effective security system is understanding the threats themselves. Therefore, security systems in hospitals must include proactive measures to create and reinforce effective security protocols geared towards accountability, readiness, and responsiveness. Hospitals are vulnerable to crime and violence from patients, visitors, and occasionally their own staff members. To protect the safety of patients, visitors, and staff, hospitals must now take extra efforts to anticipate and prepare for security threats. Treating patients is far from the only concern faced by hospitals today.
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