By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

Healthcare facilities continue to face violent incidents regularly, and even those who keep the buildings secure can become targets of violence. 

A Milwaukee man recently was sentenced to five years in prison and six years of extended supervision for stabbing a security guard at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in January 2023, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. While originally charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, the man pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless injury.  

The incident occurred after the guard confronted him for loitering, with the man later attacking the guard in a restroom, according to the report. Officers arrested the man after he dropped his knife. 

Related: De-escalation Training is Critical for Safety in Healthcare

Violence in healthcare facilities is a persistent threat, but that does not mean it is inevitable, as precautions can be taken to prevent violent incidents. Such precautions include training, personal panic devices and metal detection systems. 

Geisinger implemented those measures at its facilities by training its employees in active shooter drills and de-escalation techniques. The healthcare organization also equipped 6,000 of its employees with duress notification badges and installed metal detection systems. The systems intercepted 24,000 weapons in 2022.  

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