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NYC scrutinizes hospital security

Healthcare Security Weekly, April 25, 2004

New York City's public hospitals are facing criticism for not having policies on employee background checks and visitor screening measures, according to the Associated Press.

Earlier this month, a 13-year-old girl was raped in a Bellevue Hospital conference room, followed just days later by the arrest of a hospital medical assistant for allegedly selling guns and drugs at the facility.

Health and Hospitals Corporation officials, which run 11 public hospitals in the city, say it's difficult to ensure security at public hospitals because they treat inmates and mentally ill patients, and are often located in high crime neighborhoods.

"I think we do a very good job, considering the challenge," Benjamin Chu, president of the agency, told the New York Times.

Hospitals individually tailor their security procedures to reflect relationships with police in their communities and to address other local concerns, Chu says.

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