Washington, D.C., hospitals are calling on D.C. officials to help protect healthcare workers following a reported rise in violence in area emergency rooms, according to a Washington Business Journal report.
Here are seven things to know about the efforts and the reported rise in violence.
1. The District of Columbia Hospital Association is asking the Council of the District of Columbia to look at the issue, claiming additional resources such as police help are needed to increase safety for emergency department workers, according to the report.
2. Specifically, hospitals want police help in the immediate area when patients become violent. Officials said problems often occur when a patient suffering psychosis is brought to a hospital by police or ambulance, according to the report.
3. According to the Washington Business Journal, Lt. Sean Conboy, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department, did not address specific questions about the issue, but did say, "While the hospitals have their own security officers or armed special police officers available, if the hospitals request assistance, we respond."
4. It is unclear what has caused the reported rise in violence. However, hospital association officials have cited growing use of substances sold as synthetic marijuana that have been linked to psychotic episodes, according to the report.
5. The reported violent incidents are not occurring at specific hospital or in a specific area of Washington, D.C., said Bob Malson, CEO of the hospital association, according to the report. For instance, he noted a United Medical Center executive has indicated they see about 10 to 12 incidents daily compared to the one to two episodes of violence they used to see each day. Furthermore, a Howard University Hospital executive indicated seeing violent incidents increase three-fold in the last few months, Mr. Malson said, according to the report.
He added, "It's consistent among emergency departments. They are all moving in the same direction. They have to. This is a public safety problem. The hospitals can hire people, but as a public safety issue the government ought to be supplying protection."
6. D.C. Council HHS Committee Chairwoman Yvette Alexander (D-at large) plans to hold a roundtable on the issue by the end of November.
7. In the meantime, hospitals are looking at security plans and some hospital officials are considering whether the hospitals should have armed guards, according to the report.
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