Gatekeepers
Gatekeepers
Why are there no gatekeepers?
In a previous newsletter I wrote an article about the lack of security at courthouses and hospitals. The article mentioned a shooting in a Georgia hospital where three people were killed. This shooting came out of revenge against the nurses who the shooter blamed for his mother’s death. Other shootings in hospitals have been recorded where it involved family members who were bedridden and could not escape the shooter, usually the result of previous domestic violence.
This past month I spent a lot of time in the hospital staying with a family member who was ill. As I entered the hospital at all hours of the day and night not once was I ever approached by hospital personnel to question where I was going or what business I had in the hospital. This was the case even when I came in around midnight or thereafter. In this particular hospital the front doors closed after visiting hours and anyone coming in after 8:00 p.m. had to enter through the emergency room. At the desk just when you entered the emergency room were security guards, but they hardly took notice of me night after night.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) addressed the issue of violence in hospitals highlighting that in 1999 Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a rate of 8.3 assaults per 10,000 hospital workers. This rate was higher than the rate of assaults for all private-sector industries, which were 2 per 10,000.
In a recent article found in the Dayton Daily News, titled Hospital Violence Reportedly Rising, the writers Ben Sutherly and Amelia Robinson reported the findings of a report by the Joint Commission [who accredits U.S. hospitals] that looked into hospital violence. The Commission found that since 1995 there have been 256 assaults, rapes or homicides at hospitals and health care facilities. Out of this number 110 occurred since 2007 (http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/hospital-violence-reportedly-rising-1184394.html).
Hospitals, like courthouses involve people that may be dealing with highly emotional issues. Therefore, in any such building, there needs to be a higher degree of security. As mentioned in the Dayton Daily article, after Miami Valley Hospital put into place metal detectors, they experienced a 20 percent decline in security incidents.
Interesting that when hospitals and courthouses look to decrease spending they decrease security personnel. One justification has been that there were little incidents in the past; therefore, security is not needed. Yet, could it not be the fact that security was in place is the reason for little or no incidents.
There are small steps that can be taken. As with Miami Valley Hospital, metal detectors are a start. The second suggestion would be to have visitors get a pass that is required to open doors in the stairways or elevator use. Employees would also have passes. Not only does this give security personnel a chance to check who is roaming the hospital, but it also provides a chance for the patient to identify individuals who should not be allowed to visit them. Just a few extra steps to increase security and have a better handle on who is roaming the hospital halls can make a big difference.