Two new security programs at Saint Joseph
Pessimistic movies of the future often depict a post-apocalyptic landscape in which humans rage war for scraps, bulging Austrians say things like, ‘Ahl be bahck,’ and dogs protect us from the malevolent robots hiding among us.
But that’s just fiction. The future is here and in this reality, both are on our side.
K9 Team Security Program
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of workplace violence against healthcare workers has increased. National statistics show:
Healthcare workers are 5x more likely to be injured due to violence on the job compared to other workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers account for nearly three-quarters of workplace violence injuries and illnesses.
A nurse is assaulted every 30 minutes, on average. A nationwide analysis by Press Ganey found that most attackers were patients.
In 2021, Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction implemented a K9 team program. Since then, St. Mary's has seen a 50-percent reduction in workplace violence injury among clinicians and caregivers.
Each K9 team is comprised of a specially trained canine and a certified K9 security officer handler. The dogs and their handlers undergo formal training for months before starting at the hospital, and the dogs always wear muzzles.
Unlike traditional police dogs, they also are trained to be social. They are approachable and can be a comforting distraction, especially in the Emergency Department.
After a thorough evaluation and comprehensive risk assessment at St. Mary's, the program was piloted at Saint Joseph Hospital recently, with Moose and his handler, Chris, visiting us for a few days to get a sense of how the program would be received.
The feedback from clinicians, caregivers, patients and visitors was extremely positive and as a result, Saint Joseph will onboard permanent K9 teams in the next few months. This link to a recent story on 9News shares more information on this valuable program.
Robot Security Program
Two new additions to Saint Joseph’s Security Team are out and about and on a roll. We recently welcomed two security robots to patrol garages B and E, adding an extra layer of safety in parking areas. They patrol for three hours and then charge for 30 minutes before getting back to work.
The robots are manufactured by Knightscope, a developer of security innovations, and have numerous safety features including:
Creating a visual deterrent to prevent potential criminal behavior.
Having thermal detection capability to detect someone who might be hiding in the parking garage.
Utilizing video surveillance and an emergency call button that goes directly to Saint Joseph’s Security Team.
Traveling at no more than three miles per hour, with the ability to stop or adjust their path to avoid collisions, these robots foster security while operating safely.
Saint Joseph Senior Leadership and Security teams are working to create the safest-possible environment for our medical staff, caregivers, patients and visitors. These two programs support that objective, with an additional focus on caregiver and provider well-being. For any questions about these programs, please contact Intermountain Health Security director Susie Bourgeois at susie.bourgeois@imail.org.
As part of the hospital’s comprehensive security campaign, we’re optimistic that in the near and real future, these programs will help us say that inappropriate activity in the parking garages has been ‘tahminated.’