In the aftermath of a deadly shooting on the campus of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital near Philadelphia, the issue of security at Delaware County medical facilities has come to the forefront, according to an article on the Delaware County Daily Times website.
A psychiatric patient opened fire, killing his caseworker, before a psychiatrist returned fire and critically wounded the shooter.
Mercy policy prohibits anyone except on-duty law enforcement officers from bringing weapons onto the campus, a Mercy Health System spokesperson said.
The facility is not equipped with metal detectors.
Main Line Health System, which operates Riddle Memorial Hospital in Middletown, Pa., as well as several other hospitals in the region, also has a gun prohibition policy.
The health system’s security staff has developed emergency plans to respond to a violent situation, the article said.
At Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa., a metal detector screens patients and visitors in the hospital’s emergency department, according to a hospital spokesman. The metal detector is staffed by a security officer 24/7.
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