Milwaukee Police confirm vehicle break-ins at Columbia St. Mary's parking lot over the weekend
Five vehicles were vandalized Saturday in the visitor and staff parking lot of Columbia St. Mary's Hospital, including one that is part of the Horizon Hospice fleet, according to Milwaukee Police.
The lot is located at the corner of Lake Drive and Prospect Avenue. The vandalism was first reported by WISN12 TV.
In addition to the vehicle damage reported to police, several nurses contacted the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sunday and Monday, sharing photos of broken glass next to busted-out car windows. The nurses said several of the vehicles, including the Hospice car, were parked on the fourth floor.
Mary Haynor, president and CEO of Horizon Home Care & Hospice, confirmed Monday that one of the familiar white cars with the birds on both sides, was among those damaged. She said the hospice vehicles do not contain any medications or narcotics.
Haynor learned of the break-ins when contacted by a reporter from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She then made a call to staff and confirmed it involved a hospice vehicle.
One nurse who spoke to the Journal Sentinel said walking out at the end of an overnight shift to find broken glass and vandalized vehicles immediately triggered memories of a woman who was stabbed at the hospital after visiting her mother in the intensive care unit in April of 2018.
The woman filed a personal injury lawsuit in 2020, accusing Columbia St. Mary’s of violating Wisconsin’s “Safe-Place” law. The law requires owners of public buildings to construct their facilities safely and maintain safe conditions.
“It’s very scary," another nurse, who asked to remain anonymous, said. "We all still talk about the visitor that got attacked on the 3rd floor a few years back. After that, the hospital said they were beefing up security. What a joke.”
Both current and former health care workers have raised concerns in recent months over the lack of staffing at the hospital. Overworked doctors and nurses shared safety concerns, with nurses telling the Journal Sentinel they often have to care for too many patients at at time, which could compromise patient safety.
One nurse linked the break-ins with another sign of cuts to staffing. “We do have security. But like every other department in the hospital, they are short-staffed as well,” she said.
"Our top priority is the safety of our patients, visitors, associates and physicians. Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital - Milwaukee Campus has a combination of 24/7 cameras, parking lot/garage patrol services, emergency call systems, security escort services, and enhanced LED lighting. We have increased security rounding and are working closely with the Milwaukee Police Department," an Ascension Wisconsin spokesperson.
Jessica Van Egeren is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's enterprise health reporter. She can be reached at jvanegeren@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Columbia St. Mary's cars vandalized
