The hospital installed this new Evolv weapon detection security system in the lobby in October. During his first three months, the machine stopped 123 of his guns, 72 knives, and 143 other unspecified weapons from entering medical facilities.
“Some people have been bringing in guns over the years, and now we're catching them,” said Joe Forte, the hospital's security director.
On average, more than 2,500 people visit the main lobby of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania each day, and thousands more come through other public entrances and the emergency department, making it one of Philadelphia's busiest hospitals. .
Most people are stopped by the Evolv system for benign objects such as umbrellas (which may resemble gun barrels) or eyeglass cases (which are flagged as possible pipe bombs). However, it will be approved immediately.
If a security guard catches a weapon, rather than confiscating it, they will tell anyone who has a licensed and registered firearm to leave the building.
The weapon detection portion is just one part of a larger plan to protect staff and visitors.
“[People] You have a right to come to work safely every day,” said Lisa Triantos, a registered nurse at Penn. “They should not be afraid to come to work and be verbally or physically assaulted, but we also have a duty to provide care to our communities.”
Many health care systems have found themselves dealing with an increase in physical attacks, verbal harassment, and aggression toward health care providers.
The incidence of violence against these workers rose 63% nationwide between 2011 and 2018. In a 2022 poll, a quarter of emergency physicians nationwide reported being assaulted more frequently, including multiple times a week.
Industry leaders say the coronavirus pandemic has made matters worse. In New Jersey, violent workplace incidents in hospitals increased by 14.6% during the COVID-19 emergency.
Although research shows the majority of incidents do not involve a weapon, the presence of something like a gun or knife can make a bad situation even worse, Forte said. Stated. The purpose of the new security check is to eliminate that possibility.
“We respond to acts of violence in hospitals, and when you're trying to calm someone down, it's really nice to know there's no gun or knife there,” he said.
The new safety measures were informed by health care providers like Triantos, clinical director of emergency and medical nursing at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, another hospital that sees a high volume of patients and visitors.
She helps run the Employee Subcommittee on System-wide Workplace Violence Prevention Initiatives. They helped expand de-escalation training to more departments, beyond high-risk areas such as emergency rooms and trauma centers.
“Therefore, it is necessary to identify the cause of anxiety so that we can intervene early, before it escalates into verbal or physical violence,” Triantos says.
Penn Medicine officials said they plan to distribute personal mandatory badges to all clinical providers and staff. If someone feels they are in danger, they can carefully press a small device to call for backup and alert security to their exact location within the facility.
