Safety/risk debated with more hospital guards armed

Man seeking help for mental illness shot in Texas hospital


A 26-year-old student who came to St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston for treatment of possible bipolar disorder was eventually shocked with a Taser and shot in the chest and then then handcuffed by two off-duty Houston police officers, moonlighting as security guards, according to an article on The New York Times.

Patients seeking help at hospitals across the country have instead been injured or killed by those guarding the institutions, the article said.

Healthcare facilities are not required to report these incidents, so little data is available. Official reports have identified more than a dozen in recent years.

As more American hospitals are arming guards, healthcare officials are debating about whether such steps improve safety or endanger patients.

Read the article.

 

 



February 17, 2016


Topic Area: Maintenance and Operations , Safety


Recent Posts

Cyberattack Results in Patient Reroutes at Anne Arundel Medical Center

A recent cyberattack on Luminis Health Care led to care disruptions and treatment cancelations at Maryland hospital.


Tangram Furnishes Be Well OC Irvine Behavioral Health Campus

Case study: Through a public-private partnership, Be Well OC’s 22-acre Irvine campus expands Orange County’s continuum of behavioral healthcare.


Suntree Internal Medicine Reports Data Breach

Suntree Internal Medicine has no evidence of misuse, or attempted misuse, of any potentially affected information.


Why Healthcare Facilities Management Is Critical to Patient Safety 

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities rely on much more than doctors and nurses to keep patients safe.


Sanford Health and North Memorial Health Finalize Partnership

An integration process is underway to create a unified organization.


 
 


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.