New security protocols are set to be rolled out at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor.
CEO Janice Kaffer is looking to better ensure the safety of the 33 acre campus after recent violent incidents in Ontario hospitals.
Last month, a shooting at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Coburg left two people dead and an August stabbing at Windsor Regional Hospital's Ouellette campus led to beefed up security.
Kaffer says it's an issue hospitals across the province are paying more attention to.
On Wednesday, the board was briefed on new lockdown and hold and secure procedures set to be finalized shortly.
Kaffer says there is a balance that needs to be struck as Hotel-Dieu has a more casual setup to complement the type of care being offered. "We can't lockdown every door in our hospital because of the way we're situated and nor should we because we're a public institution," says Kaffer. "What we need to be doing is thinking about, 'How do we educate our staff, how do we educate our volunteers and then how do we educate our community?'"
Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare CEO Janice Kaffer (by AM800's Peter Langille)
But paying for the security enhancements is an issue. "We'll be coming out to the community and be saying, 'There are some things that we need to do in the future to keep this campus, our patients, our visitors and our broader community safe,'" says Kaffer. "We're going to be looking for some support for that."
Kaffer says staff at the hospital have been improving lighting, security cameras and other equipment since moving into the Tayfour Campus four years ago.
However, there hadn't been lockdown or hold and secure policies to deal with dangerous scenarios like an active shooter.