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Preventing prisoner patient "uh ohs" at your hospital

Healthcare Security Weekly, February 9, 2004

An incident last week in Nebraska involving an escaped inmate from a hospital (see story below) further demonstrates that security directors need to have ongoing relationships with their local authority, according to Steven C. Dettman, BS, CHPA, director of security and visitor support services at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix.

Although when prisoner patients visit the hospital, they're the police or correction officers responsibility, Dettman says it's important for the hospital to know they're coming in case anything should happen.

Not only is building a relationship with local authorities a smart move, but it is also required as part of the JCAHO forensics policy standard, Dettman says.

The Joint Commission forensic policy - which is actually listed under the human resources department policy section - still affects security.

"It's one of those policies that cross over to security," Dettman says. "The policy requires that institutions have something in place that deals with forensics - the local agencies, like law enforcement, that come into facilities."

This policy requires hospitals to educate visiting local agencies about hospital rules and guidelines. If your hospital doesn't have this element of a policy in place, Dettman says you could be surprised come survey time.

"I'm not saying it would make a difference (in the Nebraska incident), but there is that guideline, and security directors need to understand that it's out there, and that communication has to be in place," Dettman says.

Some basics to consider:

• Make sure the security and hospital staff know when a prisoner patient comes to the hospital. "Security should be aware if that kind of patient population is in their walls," Dettman says. "The last thing you want is someone running around with a weapon potentially taking hostages."
• Does the correction officer or police officer guarding the prisoner patient know how to contact you in an emergency? Think about some form of radio communication or a process to contact you if the officers should need help.
• Teach the "forensic staff" hospital emergency procedures.

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