Infant abduction puts spotlight on maternity ward security

Hospitals nationwide have upped security measures in their nurseries in recent years


A spotlight is on security in Montana maternity wards after a woman who tested positive for methamphetamine fled an Anaconda hospital with her newborn just hours later, according to an article on The Montana Standard website. 

Hospitals nationwide have upped security measures in their nurseries in recent years to prevent infant abductions, according to the FBI.

But it’s unclear how the woman skirted security at the Community Hospital of Anaconda to abduct the newborn.

In Butte, St. James Healthcare increased security in its birthing area about five years ago. In the past, anyone could walk up to the nursery window to look at the newborns. Today, a locked door leads into the birthing area and nursery, and only nurses have authority to allow people to enter, the article said.

No one leaves the ward without passing a nurses’ station staffed around the clock and the four video cameras that monitor hallways and doors, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Read the article.

 

 



June 26, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Medical Outpatient Buildings: 4 Trends Bringing Risk, Opportunity

As healthcare delivery pivots toward outpatient settings to provide care, four trends affect healthcare systems' real estate strategies.


Building Senior Care Facilities for Harsh Temperatures

Going beyond the building code requirements is key for temperature resilience.


Nemours Children's Health Opens the Betty and Jack Demetree Family Center for Otolaryngology

It is a facility that will provide ear, nose and throat (ENT) care to pediatric patients in the region.


Laser Scanning: Reducing Risk in Construction Projects

VDC technology allows teams to define scope based on verified conditions, not on assumptions, reducing change orders and schedule delays.


MOBs Get Smarter and More Complex as Space Pressures Mount

Healthcare facilities teams are turning to data-driven space strategies while adapting to increasingly sophisticated building demands.


 
 


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.