Man Attacks Nurses, Police Officer at Jefferson Hospital

The man allegedly attacked the staff members before being restrained and sedated.

By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor


An 18-year-old man, Steven Couch, was charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault after allegedly attacking three nurses and a Highmark Health police officer at Jefferson Hospital in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports. The incident occurred when staff saw him trying to break into a locked medical office. Couch allegedly punched several nurses and an officer before being restrained and sedated. He was being treated at the hospital before transport. 

Violence against healthcare professionals continues to climb, which makes ensuring the safety and security of a healthcare facility critical. There are many technologies healthcare facility managers can call upon to achieve those goals. 

Related: Addressing Workplace Violence in Healthcare with Reporting Systems

If a violent incident does occur, access control systems can go into a lockdown mode, Kyle Pfeiffer, industry solutions leader – healthcare at SALTO Systems, previously told Healthcare Facilities Today. Furthermore, localized lockdowns can be enabled by authorized staff to immediately lock down specific doors, buildings or even the entire facility. By activating a lock down, the threat can be contained to a specific area so that it doesn’t escape or potentially harm anyone else. 

Staff can also use personal panic devices that utilize real-time location services if they perceive a threat, Doug Coppola, senior director of healthcare solutions, North America at LenelS2, previously told Healthcare Facilities Today. This notifies security of who needs assistance and where to send it. There can also be integrated video with voice aggression analytics that help identify an incident before it turns violent, alerting security to send a de-escalation team to address the threat. 

“When these types of devices and systems are integrated into the access control solution, security teams are provided with a unified system, what is sometimes referred to as a “single pane of glass,” to monitor in their operations center,” says Coppola.  

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market. 



March 12, 2025


Topic Area: Security


Recent Posts

Frederick Health Hospital Faces 5 Lawsuits Following Ransomware Attack

The lawsuits accuse FHH of inadequate cybersecurity, poor breach notification and failing to protect patients from identity theft risks.


Arkansas Methodist Medical Center and Baptist Memorial Health Care to Merge

They have signed a non-binding letter of intent to complete a shared mission agreement to merge the two organizations.


Ground Broken on Intermountain Saratoga Springs Multi-Specialty Clinic

The clinic is scheduled to open and start seeing patients in the fall of 2026.


Electrical Fire Tests Resilience of Massachusetts Hospital

Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital used opportunity to renovate key systems and components and expand facility operations.


Bomb Threat Alleged at Illinois Hospital

The alleged suspect was taken into police custody, and the threat was determined to be unfounded.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.