Bergen County officials are targeting violence at Paramus, N.J.-based Bergen Regional Medical Center after frequent assaults were reported at the facility, The Record reports.
County officials are calling for a number of actions, such as assigning more police to the facility, ordering the hospital to hire consultants to assess safety and patient care, and appointing a liaison from Bergen County to the hospital.
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco also has asked acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal and Sheriff Michael Saudino to conduct a safety assessment of the hospital campus and report findings to his office and the Bergen County Improvement Authority, which oversees Bergen Regional Medical Center, according to the report.
The executive's response comes just days after The Record revealed that violence has reportedly continued at Bergen Regional Medical Center, even after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the hospital last year for failing to keep the workplace free of hazards, and for incorrectly recording workplace injuries. According to the publication, hundreds of alleged assaults have been logged by county police in recent years. New Jersey Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) has also called for a hearing next month in light of The Record's findings.
"Bergen County Sheriff Saudino and I agree that, effective immediately, there will be increased officer presence on the BRMC campus," Mr. Tedesco said, according to The Record. "Moving forward, at my request, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office will provide incident reports directly to the Bergen County Improvement Authority."
Bergen Regional Medical Center LP, the for-profit company that manages the hospital, was ordered to retain a private consultant to assess much of its operations, The Record reports.
Officials at Bergen Regional Medical Center LP maintains attacks on staff have dropped more than 30 percent over three recent quarters — from 4.5 per 1,000 patient days in the third quarter of 2015 to 1.4 in the first quarter of 2016 — and injuries to staff are below national benchmarks.
Hospital spokeswoman Donnalee Corrieri also noted the hospital reports episodes to the police "which include any unwanted physical interaction such as touching or poking," and as a result of mandatory reporting, the number of reported incidents has gone up, according to The Record.
"Oftentimes, these instances are subsequently investigated by children's protective services or other regulatory agencies and determined to be unfounded," she added.
A 19-year lease between the Bergen County Improvement Authority and Bergen Regional Medical Center LP is set to expire in 2017.
More articles on workforce and labor management:
Reported assaults at Bergen Regional prompt NJ senator to schedule hearing
Feds set limits for financial incentives on wellness programs: 7 things to know
263 Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare workers brace for strike Tuesday