A day after a cardiovascular surgeon at Boston's Brigham and Women’s Hospital was fatally shot, healthcare facilities are reviewing security procedures, according to an article on The Boston Globe website.
At the New England Quality Care Alliance, administrators were considering whether to issue safety guidelines to the group’s 1,850 doctors, many of whom work in the suburbs.
“Of course, now we’re thinking about this and trying to figure out how to advise on security, but it has to be in the context of what’s best for the patient,” said Dr. Michael Cantor, chief medical officer of the doctors network.
While hospital shootings are rare, other violent crimes and assaults at US hospitals are rising, according to a 2014 survey from the International Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hospitals use technology — security cameras and alarm systems — to monitor and try to thwart problems, but also are increasingly training staff on how to defuse volatile situations, the article said.
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