The Ross Memorial Hospital is bolstering its in-house anti-violence campaign following two altercations in the emergency room this past weekend.
“Our staff are our most important resource, and we have zero tolerance for violence, and we’re sending that message,” hospital President and CEO Bert Lauwers said. “We are taking significant steps to protect our frontline people in high-risk areas such as the Emergency Department. These measures include an increase in security guards and, at times, police presence. We will also be making physical changes to the Emergency Department and implementing the use of personal alarms for staff safety.”
Violence in the emergency room has been a growing trend for almost a year, he said.
Chief Nursing Officer Anne Overhoff said it’s hard to pinpoint a reason behind the increase.
“There’s more drugs, more addictions,” Overhoff said. “People come in with unpredictable behaviour. So, staff is fearful, they’re scared, they want to be able to do a good job, so that’s why we need to provide the tools and the support so that it is a safe environment for them.”
In addition to the poster campaign launched in the spring, Ross Memorial is beefing up security and hiring paid-duty police officers to monitor the emergency room while the Lindsay Exhibition is underway this week.
Last week, the hospital engaged experts from Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences to do a site visit and identify areas where safety and security can be enhanced.
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