Two patients at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., killed themselves in the span of eight days, according to the New York Daily News.
One 76-year-old man killed himself in the bathroom of his room early Tuesday morning, and on March 21, a 77-year-old man was found with a rope around his neck on the hospital's seventh floor, according to the report.
"We are deeply saddened by these recent events and our hearts go out to the affected families and staff," the hospital said in a statement to Becker's. "In the wake of these two unrelated events, staff and family members are being offered grief counseling services. We will continue to monitor and support the families and our associates through this difficult time."
Suicide was the fourth most common sentinel event in 2016, according to The Joint Commission, with 87 reported to the accrediting organization.
In 2016, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert, "Detecting and treating suicide ideation in all settings," which aims to help clinicians identify patients at risk for suicide and provides an eight-step plan to prevent inpatient suicide.