Balancing safety and security with privacy and patient care is something Saint Francis Hospital says is top of mind one year after the mass shooting that claimed the lives of four people.
NewsChannel 8's Brenna Rose spoke with some of the hospital's top leaders about what's changed since the shooting and what still needs to change.
As a wave of first responders rushed to Saint Francis Hospital that day, Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Parker was inside putting the active shooter training she never wanted to have to use into action.
"I think it was in the back of our mind even before the event happened, especially in the emergency department," Dr. Parker said.
The gunman, who was recovering from a recent surgery done by Dr. Preston Phillips, walked through the parking garage and into the Natalie Medical building on June 1, 2022. Authorities say he targeted Dr. Phillips after complaining his pain wasn't under control.
The incident highlighted the vulnerabilities of hospitals and health care workers.
"I don't know that we'll ever feel safe. I think that's the realization of the society that we live in," said President and CEO of Saint Francis Hospital Dr. Cliff Robertson. "But we have addressed, you know, many of the things that we think can improve the safety of both our patients and staff."
That includes increased training and sorting through suggestions from hundreds of staff members.
"We're making it easier for the employee to report and to ask. Empowering them, giving them a sense that your opinion and your voice matters to us," said Saint Francis Hospital Security Director Julie Harris.
As the security director, Harris has been tasked with tightening the systems already in place and finding new ones, like body-worn cameras, and calling anyone who makes a threat.
"Some of our scariest threats, once we call them, they say, 'Oh, I didn't realize what I said could be taken that way,'" said Harris.
She says that proactive approach is working.
"We're not going to promise them they won't get arrested if they continue that bad behavior. It's up to them," Harris said.
Which has happened numerous times over the last year.
Harris says there should be harsher penalties for those who commit a violent act against health care workers.
In 2020, the Medical Care Provider Protection Act was signed into law to increase penalties for aggravated assault and battery against medical professionals, but NewsChannel 8 has found at least one case where the charge was downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor that resulted in only a $500 fine.
"We experienced an extreme form on June 1, but truly, workplace violence is something that happens literally every day in our hospital," said Dr. Parker.
NewsChannel 8 sorted through hundreds of incidents of verbal and physical abuse against health care professionals obtained through an open records request since the Medical Care Provider Protection Act went into effect. Workers report being punched, kicked, bit, scratched, headbutted, spat at, choked, groped, verbally and sexually abused, and slapped by patients.
Just over two months before the Saint Francis shooting, a 56-year-old woman threatened to "take out a doctor at an orthopedics office over her bill."
"I think... I don't know if it's the pandemic or it's just a natural progression, it just... it seems to be getting worse every year, and it's been doing that now for quite a while," said Dr. Robertson.
Regardless of policy, Dr. Parker hopes Tulsans take a moment to reflect.
"We don't need a law that forces us to be kind to somebody or to de-escalate that or to put forth, you know, kindness and support," Dr. Parker said.
Because a little bit of kindness can go a long way.
Written by KTUL staff using files from Brenna Rose.