Gunnison Valley Health Enhances Security on the Hospital Campus

Violence against healthcare workers continues to rise. The statistics are sobering, healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence compared to other industries. According to national statistics from Press Ganey, in the second quarter of 2022 alone, over 5,200 nursing personnel faced assaults, averaging about 57 incidents per day. This is deeply concerning for a workforce dedicated to providing care and healing for everyone. To support the safety of Gunnison Valley Health’s healthcare workers and patients, the decision was recently made to have security personnel on site at the hospital.

Gunnison Valley Health CEO Jason Amrich said the decision was made with input from a cross departmental group of front-line workers.

“In light of the alarming workplace violence trends, Gunnison Valley Health took a decisive step about two years ago by establishing our Workplace Violence Committee,” Amrich said. “This committee, comprised of members from various departments, is dedicated to assessing and bolstering safety across all our facilities.”

After thorough deliberations with this committee and consultations with peers in Western Slope hospitals, health system leadership made a significant decision to further fortify security measures on the hospital campus by adding the presence of onsite security personnel.

The service will be provided by High Mesa Protection Services, who will provide a security guard during overnight shifts. High Mesa Protection Services were chosen following an extensive and rigorous selection process.

Gunnison Valley Health intends to expand security coverage to 24 hours daily by July of this year. This expansion will include the urgent care clinic, family medicine clinic and behavioral health office and significantly enhance hospital campus security.

According to Amrich, the addition of security is a preventative measure.

“We do not want to wait for a serious event to occur on the hospital campus, we want to take appropriate steps to prevent workplace violence incidents before they happen,” Amrich said. “Gunnison Valley Health is a place of healing, and this is one way that we can support a safe and welcoming environment for our dedicated employees and patients.”