Hospital adds ER metal detector
Jul. 21—HIGH POINT — Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is adding walk-through metal detectors as an added security measure at the entrances of emergency departments, including at its hospital in High Point.
The health system announced this week that metal detectors are installed at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's adult emergency department in Winston-Salem and at emergency departments at Davie Medical Center and Wilkes Medical Center.
Construction is underway at the Brenner Children's Hospital emergency department in Winston-Salem and at emergency departments at High Point Medical Center and Lexington Medical Center.
"We are making tremendous progress in creating a healing environment free of weapons at all of our facilities," said Dr. Jason Stopyra, emergency medicine physician and regional medical director for safety and security with the health system. "The installation of walk-through metal detectors is a very important piece in our approach to prevent workplace violence incidents. We have zero tolerance for all forms of abuse directed towards our staff, and this is just another step in helping to prevent violence."
Collection boxes outside emergency department entrances are being provided for patients and visitors to voluntarily discard prohibited items, such as firearms, knives, blades, brass knuckles, mace or pepper spray.
Only law enforcement officers are permitted to carry weapons on Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist property.
A Novant Health spokeswoman said that the health system uses metal detection screening at its three largest and busiest emergency departments — Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte.
Forsyth Medical Center's metal detector was installed in early 2022. The health system's other medical centers in the Piedmont Triad include hospitals in Thomasville and Kernersville.
Cone Health has a metal detector unit that will be installed in the emergency department at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro no later than the end of the year, a spokesman said.
Future plans call for weapons detection units to be placed in all emergency departments including at MedCenter High Point, though specific dates haven't been finalized.
The local moves on emergency department entrance metal detectors comes against the national backdrop of increasing violence against front-line medical professionals at hospitals. Violence against health care workers has been increasing over the last few years, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the American Hospital Association.
The installation of metal detectors at medical centers is one of the options being taken, as well as support for congressional legislation known as the SAVE Act to increase the penalties and consequences for attacking health care workers and provide funds for health systems to boost security measures.
pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul
