The PalAmerican Security team at Forbes Hospital, a 315-bed level 2 Trauma Center in Pennsylvania, were recently faced with a unique threat. An OB patient planning to deliver at Forbes notified the facility that her ex-husband, an ex-convict on Federal Parole for multiple violent crimes, was aware of her impending delivery and threatened to come to the hospital, kill her, and take the baby.
As part of a larger hospital network, Forbes has access to additional security resources that are part of the larger network security program. PalAmerican Security Officers collaborated with the corporate Security Director and corporate police department to develop a personal security plan for this patient that would span her entire stay and any necessary follow up visits.
The Police Officers and Security Officers coordinated communications gear, distributed photos of the suspect to necessary personnel, developed and executed plans to inspect the area prior to arrival, to man and surveil all exterior and relevant interior entrances and to screen visitors for the duration of the stay. The entire operation was in place for eight days and required the Site Supervisor and Security Officers to work extra hours, which they did without hesitation.
It is without question that the desired outcome was achieved. The baby was born without incident and the patient and family, as well as the staff in the hospital and on the unit, all felt much safer with the increased security presence allowing them to concentrate on providing excellent patient care.
But the story doesn’t end there…the following week mother and baby returned to the hospital for a follow-up visit. She had followed the plan and notified the corporate security office of her appointment and was to meet the corporate Police Officer upon arrival. However, she arrived early, before the Police Officer was on site. PalAmerican Officers had not been informed of this visit as it was not deemed necessary and so had no knowledge of the patient’s appointment. Despite this, two of the PalAmerican Security Officers recognized the patient upon arrival and quickly and discretely approached her and escorted her to the office for her appointment.
Th Site Supervisor, Norm Winslow, arrived early and stayed late to ensure a positive outcome. He and the Security Officers put in countless hours of preparation in the days leading up to the family’s arrival. The Forbes Hospital Administration and the Corporate Security Leadership have sent numerous communications commending the effort and professionalism displayed by these PalAmerican Officers. Their actions during this time reflected credit upon themselves and are in keeping with the highest values of PalAmerican Security.
