<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=390iWQ_1EFhBQzt00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=390iWQ_1EFhBQzt00" width="1280" height="720" >A new state law is giving qualified security officers at three St. Peter’s Health Partners hospital campuses expanded authority to respond to violent incidents, a change hospital leaders say is intended to better protect healthcare workers, patients and visitors.The law applies to security officers at St. Peter’s Hospital, Samaritan Hospital and Samaritan’s Albany Memorial campus. It grants qualified officers peace-officer authority, allowing them to take people into custody, issue appearance tickets, remove trespassers or hold individuals until local police arrive.The legislation comes as hospital systems across New York confront continuing violence against nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers.Judy Quinn, the nurse manager of emergency services at Samaritan Hospital, said serious incidents can quickly affect frontline staff.“When I come in in the middle of the night because one of my nurses was kicked in the stomach and is pregnant,” Quinn said.St. Peter’s Health Partners said acts of aggression against staff have more than doubled across its acute-care facilities over the past six years. At St. Peter’s Hospital, the system said violence against staff increased 144%.Dr. Steven Hanks, president and CEO of St. Peter’s Health Partners and St. Joseph’s Health, said workplace violence has increased nationally since the COVID-19 pandemic.“Since the pandemic, healthcare workers nationwide have increasingly been subjected to increasing incidents of violence in the workplace,” Hanks said.Amy Nickson, senior vice president for state policy at the Healthcare Association of New York State, said hospitals are taking multiple steps to address the problem.“There’s a number of different steps that hospitals are taking from simply in trying to increase the physical security measures, to try to improve safety, but also taking a number of steps to improve training for the hospital professionals,” Nickson said.St. Peter’s officials said security officers receiving the new authority will undergo specialized training, including de-escalation tactics and defensive training. Joshua Laiacona, regional director of security for Trinity Health New York and Trinity Health New England, said officers will be trained to use the tools required in their new roles.“Defensive tactics, firearms qualifications, handcuffs or all the tools that a peace officer is going to be, have to use,” Laiacona said.The hospital system said it has already increased visible security in some areas and added duress systems that allow workers to quickly call for help.“We have a visible security presence in our emergency department now that we didn’t used to have,” Quinn said. “We have a duress system, so you can press a button, and people know where you are, and they can help you.”Quinn said violence also affects the ability of hospitals to retain nurses and other staff.“This contributes to nurse turnover. I’ve lost staff because they just go on to work in a violent environment anymore,” she said.A recent National Nurses United survey found one in four nurses considered leaving the profession because of workplace violence, adding pressure to a healthcare industry already dealing with staffing shortages, retirements and burnout.The hospital-specific law is separate from broader statewide workplace-violence prevention requirements set to take effect this fall. Those requirements call on hospitals to develop workplace-violence prevention programs with employee input. NYSNA and other labor organizations have supported the new prevention requirements, which will require hospitals and nursing homes to assess safety risks and develop prevention plans.</div></body>

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A new state law is giving qualified security officers at three St. Peter’s Health Partners hospital campuses expanded authority to respond to violent incidents, a change hospital leaders say is intended to better protect healthcare workers, patients and visitors. The law applies to security officers at St. Peter’s Hospital,...

New state law expands hospital security authority

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A new state law is giving qualified security officers at three St. Peter’s Health Partners hospital campuses expanded authority to respond to violent incid

New state law expands hospital security authority

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