KAWARTHA LAKES- If you are planning a visit to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay you will see more security and police presence in some areas.
Officials say the move is in repsonse to an increase in violent incidents and staff injuries at the hospital.“There were two violent incidents in the Emergency Department this weekend alone,” said Anne Overhoff, Vice President Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer. “Our staff works hard, day and night, to help every patient in their time of need. It is difficult, demanding work. The team should be able to provide care without fear of threats or physical attack by patients and visitors. Assault is a crime and it will be treated as such.”
Dr. Bert Lauwers, RMH President and CEO, says people will see changes as the Hospital escalates its response to violent behaviour. “Our staff is our most valuable asset,” said Dr. Lauwers. “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.”
The Hospital proactively 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 last week. That team, including Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Klassen, reviewed violence prevention strategies and made a number of recommendations which will be summarized in a full report.
Two RMH committees focus on violence prevention: one targets the Emergency Department specifically; the other addresses safety needs throughout the Hospital. Education and training are important components of the violence prevention program which incorporate several elements (training, policies, culture, environment) for assessing, preventing and managing workplace violence.
The Emergency Department Violence Prevention Task Force has also initiated a poster campaign in the spring to emphasize to patients and visitors that dealing with violence is not part of the job.
Officials issued a strong reminder to the community that aggressive and violent behaviour will not be tolerated.
