MISSOULA — Providence hospitals in Missoula and Polson are stepping up security resources following a rise in workplace violence.
Security officers at St. Patrick Hospital and St. Joseph Medical Center are now trained to use Tasers and soon, they’ll add body cameras to their uniforms.
The cameras rolling out in November will only be activated when needed and include privacy features to stay compliant with HIPAA rules, such as automatic face blurring and audio muting when personal information is shared.
A metal detector now stands at the main entrance to the St. Patrick Hospital emergency department to further enhance security. It’s designed to screen for weapons while ensuring patients in critical condition are only checked once they’re stable.
Providence leaders say similar safety upgrades at other hospitals have already helped reduce violent incidents and they’re hopeful these changes will do the same here in Montana.
"We’ve noticed since COVID, there has been an uptick in violence in the healthcare setting," Providence Medical Center Security Manager Dean Chrestenson told MTN. "And so, this is something we’ve always tried to protect the people that are in our buildings with our high-volume security staff."
"I think we have a very robust security team here already, but these are just additional tools that will help us keep that safe environment for those people that are in here, Chrestenson continued.
