Hartford HealthCare to hire armed guards at CT hospitals after staff complaints about safety

CT Post – Wednesday, November 27, 2024
By Lisa Backus

Hartford HealthCare officials have agreed to hire armed guards for some of its hospitals after union members have complained about dangerous outbursts by patients and visitors.

The guards will be in place in early 2025, according to a statement issued by the health care organization’s media spokesperson.

“We consistently evaluate our safety protocols,” said Tina Varona, a spokesperson for Hartford HealthCare. “After a considerable assessment over the past several years, we began the process to add armed officers in June to supplement our already comprehensive safety and security strategy.”

The move came after union members who work at The Hospital of Central Connecticut’s Bradley Memorial Campus in Southington held a news conference in the emergency department parking lot Sept. 3 to highlight safety issues that left them “feeling unsafe and unhappy that Hartford HealthCare had not addressed” their concerns.

The union demanded increased protection after recent clashes with patients turned physical, according to a news release announcing that a plan to put guards in place had been approved.

Members of Unit #61, with the CHCA District 1199 union, filed a complaint with the state Department of Public Health but felt immediate action was necessary to protect nurses and other employees at the Bradley campus, the release said.

“The absence of trained guards in case of emergency, coupled with the lack of security cameras and sufficient lighting throughout the building and parking lot, took a toll on employees,” according to the release.

Hartford HealthCare agreed to deploy armed public safety officers at each of the health system’s acute care hospitals around the clock in addition to the services provided by the existing public safety team beginning in 2025, the release said.

Hartford HealthCare’s acute care facilities include Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, Mid-State Medical Center in Meriden and William Backus Hospital in Norwich.

“I would like to take a moment to recognize Hartford Healthcare’s continued efforts in making our workplace a safe environment,” Joyce Pelletier, a member of Unit #61, CHCA District 1199, said in a statement. “As you know the union here at Bradley voiced our concerns on public safety in our hospital. It’s reassuring to know our voices were heard and we continue to look forward to meaningful conversations in helping us serve the community in a safe and effective way.”

Acts of violence against health care workers can range from verbal abuse to physical assaults, according to a report issued by the Patient Safety Network within the federal Department of Health & Human Services.

Risk factors include unpredictable behaviors of patients and families who often are under emotional stress; organizational and systemic factors such as high-stress work environments, staff shortages, lack of organizational policies and staff training; overcrowding; long wait times; inflexible visiting hours; and lack of information, the report said.

Union members said they appreciated the addition of security officers, but hiring more health care staff also would help solve the problem of workplace violence in health care settings.

“Although we remain open to any measures that protect healthcare workers, we need to emphasize that adequate safe staffing levels are a proven solution to decreasing the incidence of workplace violence and we remain committed to this,” said Sherri Dayton, an advanced practice registered nurse who is president of the Backus Federation of Nurses, AFT Local 5149, and vice president for Healthcare, AFT Connecticut.

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