Workplace Violence

Chicago Hospital Ordered to Pay More than $10 Million Dollars to a Female Doctor and 6 Nurses who Filed a Lawsuit for Two Separate Harassment Incidents Including Being Choked by a Doctor, and Another Doctor who installed a Toilet Cam in the Women’s Locker Room

Posted on November 2, 2018 1:30 pm by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISKAlert Report #1073 Sept. 19, 2018 Chicago, Illinois

The former employees of Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago won a lawsuit against the
hospital after reporting that hospital doctors harassed them. The Chicago Tribune reported that the hospital received
reports about violent incidents but did nothing. The women accused the hospital of failing to act when violations of the hospital own written policies were reported and then ignored.

$7 million of the total amount was awarded to Dr. Caroline Ryan, an anesthesiologist who was choked and
pushed by Dr. Stephen F. Laga, in 2013. The attack was witnessed by several hospital staff members
and also by patients. Dr. Ryan was asked by hospital administration to drop her report against Laga, who
had a “long and documented” history of violent behavior, says the complaint. Laga was never disciplined.

The following year, a hidden camera was found on the toilet (Potty Cam?) in the women’s locker room where
women changed clothes and used the restroom. The camera was planted by Dr. Robert Weiss, an eye surgeon
at Illinois Masonic, who viewed and possibly shared the content. Weiss was arrested when the camera was
discovered. Although aware of his arrest, the hospital delayed suspending Weiss’ medical privileges.

The women’s complaint also pointed out that the hospital had ignored previous reports of inappropriate
sexual behavior from Weiss. The six women were awarded $1.75 million for violations of their privacy and
an additional $2 million for punitive damages. “The jury was sending a clear message”, said the women’s
attorney, Jeffrey Kulwin. He said he believes doctor misconduct has been tolerated because of the money the
doctors bring in to the hospitals.

“Today’s verdict against Advocate sends a strong message to Advocate, and employers everywhere,
that violence in the workplace cannot be tolerated, especially at a place as important as a hospital,”

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Having, and Enforcing a strong policy against workplace violence and harassment is a critical
component of creating a safe workplace, no matter who is being violent against others!

2. The hospital lost the lawsuit because they blatantly refused to enforce their OWN POLICIES!

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#RiskAssessment #CMSImmediateJeopardy #HospitalViolence

A Hospital Employee at Kadlec Regional Medical Center came back to the hospital on his day off, threatening to kill other employees and himself. Other violent attacks on staff have also occurred recently including choking of a nurse in the ICU!

Posted on October 24, 2018 11:22 am by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISKAlert Report Updated: October 23, 2018 Richland, Washington

A Hospital Employee at Kadlec Regional Medical Center came back to the hospital on his day off, threatening to kill other employees and himself. Other violent attacks n staff have also occurred recently including choking of a nurse in the ICU!

In a workplace violence incident on Oct. 18, 2018, Kadlec employee Matt Ganz, 51, walked into the
hospital where he worked, on his day off and began talking to fellow co-workers about how he wanted to die by suicide and how he would kill others as well, said Lt. Chris Lee.

Several people called 911 to report seeing a man with a gun at the 270-bed hospital. Richland police responded and were on the scene within a minute and a half. But Ganz was gone before Richland and Kennewick police along with deputies from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office finished searching the hospital.

Police continued to hunt for Ganz and officers finally found him about 40 minutes later on the 300 block of East Third Avenue drunk behind the wheel of his truck, police said. He was booked into
the Benton County jail for making threats, for interfering with a health care facility and for driving
under the influence (DUI).

Kadlec Regional has experienced other incidents including multiple staff members who were hurt by patients, and it highlights the problem of workplace violence in healthcare. In one incident, a patient in the ER hurt 3 nurses, a doctor, and a security officer. In another recent case, a patient in Intensive Care choked a nurse, as she was trying to change his IV.

The nurse in question posted these remarks on Facebook, “Let me tell you, having a strong individual’s hands around your neck, the inability to breathe, let alone call for help, to the point where you can’t see a thing and can only hear an emergency “staff assist” tone going off, is one of the absolutely gut-wrenching, most terrifying feelings anyone could ever imagine. It didn’t help that it was preceded with the words “I’m gonna kill you.” Ashley Schade described in a Facebook post about the event that has now gone viral.

Both of those patients were charged with assault.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Workplace Violence is still a major problem in healthcare, with most of the violent incidents
directed at nurses. More needs to be done.

2. Report every incident to management and increase staff to avoid having nurses work alone.

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MAN AT SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE STABS HIS MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER IN WORKPLACE VIOLENCE INCIDENT BEFORE BEING SHOT TO DEATH BY FEDERAL SECURITY OFFICER

Posted on July 10, 2018 3:28 pm by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISKAlert Report Updated: July 9, 2018 McComb, Mississippi

MAN AT SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE STABS HIS MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER IN WORKPLACE
VIOLENCE INCIDENT BEFORE BEING SHOT TO DEATH BY FEDERAL SECURITY OFFICER

A 21-year-old Mississippi man, Branen Carter, went into the McComb, MS, Social Security Administration office with his mother and grandmother, and then he stabbed his mother and grandmother in the lobby before he was shot to death by a federal FPS (Federal Protective Service) security officer.

The incident happened at 11 am, and the facility was put on lockdown after the incident. Large numbers of law enforcement officers responded to the one-story brick building on the edge of McComb, which is about 100 miles south of Jackson.

Carter’s mother, Lee Anna Turnage, and grandmother, Ann Carter, were in stable condition at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, after what was reported as a family fight that turned violent.

Mississippi court records show Branen Carter was indicted in Marion County in December 2016, when he was 20, on two felony charges — one count of statutory rape and one count of sexual battery of a child between the ages of 14 and 16. He pleaded guilty in May 2017 after the two felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors (WHY?), and he was given two six-month suspended sentences, which means he did not have to serve jail time. The attorney who represented him was out of the office Monday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Director of Communications for the Federal Protective Service, Robert Sperling, said that the FPS agency has a long history of using armed security guards at federal agencies it oversees. “It’s a cornerstone. We have officers in social security offices and most federal agencies across the country, such as the IRS,” Sperling said.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Workplace Violence can happen anywhere, and family disputes often spill over into
public workplaces. This attack happened in the lobby of the federal agency.

The FPS did an excellent job of countering the threat and probably saved the
lives of both women.

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#Stabbing #WorkplaceViolence

19-year old Teen Victim Sues Michigan Hospital After Being Punched in the Face in the Hospital’s Emergency Room

Posted on April 10, 2018 1:36 pm by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISKAlert Report Updated: April 10, 2018

A nineteen-year old woman is suing Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn, Michigan after she was injured by another patient in the hospital’s emergency room. The entire attack was caught on hospital security video.

The video showed the woman, who was wearing a hijab head scarf, had just started talking to the staff at the ER desk, when, with 5 seconds, an older man came up behind her and started to repeatedly punch her in the head. The man who attacked her, 57-year-old John Deliz, had been dropped off at the hospital by police, after leaving a group home.

Police records show he was warned about harassing others in the hospital lobby before the attack occurred, according to The Detroit News. Deliz admitted in court that that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had not been taking his medications.

The hospital security staff immediately responded and restrained Deliz, who was subsequently arrested.

The lawsuit claims that “the hospital was aware of his condition as he was brought because he needed mental treatment. Instead of treating him, they discharged him into the ER waiting room,” her lawyer, Mr. Moughni told CBS. “Instead of giving him mental treatment, they put him back in the patient pool, thereby giving way to his attack.”
LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Using the Emergency Room as a temporary holding area for behavioral health individuals
exposes the hospital to potential lawsuits and liability for any damage they might do.

2. Behavioral health patients need to be isolated in a holding room and/or continuously supervised, and
not allowed to freely circulate within the Emergency Room.

THANKS FOR READING THE RISKAlert Report©

For more information and more great content: write to: caroline@riskandsecurityllc.com
We provide the best Active Shooter and CMS Facility Risk Assessments, Drills & Training Programs
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Angry Iranian Female Shooter Shoots Three YouTube Staff Members in San Bruno, California Active Shooter Attack

Posted on April 4, 2018 12:28 pm by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISKAlert Report Updated: April 3, 2018

Nasim Aghdam , a 39-year old YouTube user who was angry after access to her self-produced YouTube videos was reduced, drove 470 miles from Menifee in southern California to YouTube headquarters in northern California and shot three staff members with a handgun at the YouTube campus and then turned the gun on herself, inflicting a fatal injury.

Aghdam’s father, Ismail Aghdam said he had called the police, warning that she hated YouTube, and that he was afraid that she might be headed up to their headquarters after she went missing from her home.

She started shooting in a courtyard area and it appears she killed herself as law enforcement arrived on the scene. She was one of a handful of female shooters, and passionate about veganism and animal rights issues, and used her YouTube channel to spread her message. She ranted online against the company’s new policies and accused them of censoring her videos and reducing their views.

She had complained on her website that “new close-minded youtube employees” had “filtered my channels” starting
in 2016, causing the number of views on her videos to drop. She posted a screenshot of her YouTube page showing that one video had received 366,591 views.

YouTube staff members were terrorized by the random shootings, and were searched before
being allowed to go to their cars and leave the offices. It was the first major Workplace Violence
incident in a major Silicon Valley company and should encourage other companies to add more
security controls to their campuses.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. A Workplace Violence Incident can happen anywhere and anytime! Be Ready.

Lack of access controls (metal detectors) allowed a killer to enter the YouTube campus with a
gun and shoot three staff members, injuring one critically. Simple, inexpensive metal detectors
could have eliminated this vulnerability.
Police did not respond quickly enough when they were called and alerted IN ADVANCE that the
shooter might be heading to the YouTube campus. She might have been apprehended on route
during the six plus hour drive to San Bruno.

THANKS FOR READING THE RISKAlert Report©

For more information and more great content: write to: caroline@riskandsecurityllc.com
We provide the best Active Shooter and CMS Facility Risk Assessments & Training Programs
www.riskandsecurityllc.com or www.caroline-hamilton.com

Tags:
active shooter
Female Shooter
YouTube Shooting

Nurse Shot and Killed in Hospital, after telling off Supply Worker, who also Shoots another employee before Killing himself.

Posted on March 16, 2018 11:58 am by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISKAlert Report Updated: March 16, 2018

The shooting took place after long-time nursing supervisor, Nancy Swift, 63, told off Trevis Coleman, a hospital Sterile Supply worker, described as “disgruntled” by police. After fatally shooting Swift, he shot instrument worker, Tim Isley, who is in critical condition. Coleman then turned the gun on himself, with a fatal shot to the head.

The incident took place at University of Alabama at Birmingham, Highlands’s hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. UAB Hospital Vice President Anthony Patterson said, ‘We have extensive security measures in place that include police officers on site 24-7 as well as others that we do not publicly disclose in the interest of safety.

“This is a sad day for Birmingham UAB. We lost a colleague and a friend last night,” UAB Hospital Vice President Anthony Patterson said. “First I want to offer my sincerest condolences to the victims who have suffered and to their family and colleagues who are grieving this senseless loss of life and injury, our highest priority is the health and safety of our patients and employees.”
The surviving victim of the shooting, 28-year-old Timothy Isley, is recovering at UAB Hospital. He was the on-duty instrument management supervisor at the time of the shooting. Isley’s father is a Mayor of Springville, Alabama,

UAB Highlands hospital had metal detectors in use at the time of the workplace violence incident.

LESSONS LEARNED:

‘Disgruntled’ employees need to have a formal case file opened on them, and their
behavior monitored, if they have the potential to be a threat.
Keeping all back entrances locked, and using door alarms, can keep staff, and intruders
from bringing guns and knives into hospitals.

THANKS FOR READING THE RISKAlert Report©

For more information and more great content: write to: caroline@riskandsecurityllc.com

We provide the best Active Shooter and CMS Facility Risk Assessments & Training Programs
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ATTORNEY SHOOTS HIS TWO FELLOW ATTORNEYS AT PROMINENT LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA LAW FIRM’S HOLIDAY PARTY Updated: Jan. 8, 2018

Posted on January 10, 2018 10:15 am by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

ATTORNEY SHOOTING IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA – SHOOTER HITS TWO FELLOW
ATTORNEYS AT PROMINENT CELEBRITY LAW FIRM’S HOLIDAY PARTY

Updated: Jan. 9, 2018

The Long Beach, Calif. Police Department named John Alexander Mendoza, 58, of Redondo Beach, Calif., as the man who shot his two colleagues, one died at the scene, and other was injured at the scene, on Friday afternoon, January 5, 2018.

Attorneys at the Perona, Langer, Beck, Serbin, Mendoza and Harrison firm in the Long Beach neighborhood of Bixby Knolls, were attending the firm’s holiday party, when Mendoza entered the offices shooting.

Major A. Langer, the firm’s Managing Partner, 75, was killed and Ronald Beck, 64, was wounded in what police called a workplace violence incident. After shooting Langer and Beck, Mendoza turned the gun on himself. The shooting occurred during a holiday party at the firm when others were present.

Mendoza had apparently been fired earlier in the day, but returned to the firm’s party. On a report of an active shooter, Long Beach police officers swarmed to the office building. Believing an active shooter was still at work, police formed a small team and quickly went into the office looking for the gunman and any victims, according to a police source briefed on the incident. As they scoured the building, police reportedly came upon multiple groups of screaming and crying workers still hiding or trying to flee, but eventually confirmed the gunman was dead.

The firm has eleven offices in southern California and represented clients including Motley Crue, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

Mendoza had worked at Perona Langer Beck for 10 years, said Michael Waks, a lawyer who also has offices in the same building where Perona Langer Beck is located in Long Beach. Mendoza specialized in workers compensation cases.

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#LongBeachShooting #RISKAlertReport

RISKAlert Report # 840, Man Shoots Neighbor, Takes Body to His Lawyer

Posted on March 19, 2016 10:33 pm by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

Dateline: February 17, 2016

A Florida Man Shot his Neighbor to Death, Put the Body in the Back of his Pickup Truck
and Drove Dead Body to his Lawyer’s Office

A Fort Myers, Florida man shot his neighbor to death during a struggle before loading the body into the back of his pickup truck and driving it to a lawyer’s office, according to the News Press of Fort Myers, Marshall claimed he shot the neighbor in self defense.

Lawyer Robert Harris, said that John Marshall (the shooter), walked into his Fort Myers law firm claiming he had shot and killed neighbor Ted Hubbell in self-defense and had the body outside in the bed of his pickup.

The shocked attorneys called 911 and Marshall spent hours at Harris’ office before finally leaving
for the hospital around 10:30 p.m. that night. Marshall had a swollen lip, missing tooth and what
appeared to be two broken thumbs.

According to attorney Robert Harris, Joh Death Investigation n
Marshall wrestled a gun away from neighbor
Hubbell and fatally shot him earlier Wednesday.
Harris said late Wednesday that Marshall will
not be arrested, because he shot in self defense.

Lessons Learned:

1. Avoid fights with neighbors.

2. If a fight seems unavoidable, call 911 and wait for police in a safe area.

3. Do not transport a body to your lawyers office in the bed of your
pick up truck!

RISKAlert® is a publication of Risk & Security LLC
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Tags:
active shooter
man shoots neighbor
violence

62-Year Old Bumblebee Tuna Worker Killed in Oven with Six Tons of Canned Tuna

Posted on May 28, 2015 9:19 am by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

RISK Alert Report #710 – May 27, 2015

The Los Angeles District Attorney announced felony charges Monday against
Bumblebee Tuna’s San Diego Plant, alleging that a worker, Jose Melena,
entered a thirty-five foot cylindrical oven that sterilizes cans of tuna. Melena’s
co-workers closed the door and started the oven. The oven temperature rose to
270 degrees in the next two hours, and when the doors were opened, they found
the severely burned remains of Jose Melena.

According to District Attorney Jackie Lacey, “We take worker safety very seriously”,
according to a published statement. “Our goal is to enhance the criminal of workplace
safety violations. Although the Bumble Bee investigation began in 2012, this case
represents our commitment to protecting workers from illegal – and, potentially,
deadly – on-the-job practices.”

Two plant employees, former Safety Manager Saul Florez, 42, of Whittier,
California, and the current Director of Plant Operations Angel Rodriguez, 63, of
Riverside, California, with three felony counts each of an Cal-OSHA (State of
California ) violation causing death.

Both men face arraignment on May 27 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in
downtown Los Angeles. If convicted, the individuals could serve three years in
state prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Bumble Bee faces a maximum fine
of $1.5 million.

Lessons Learned:

1. Strong safety controls should be put in place to protect workers in High Risk
Occupations.

2. Employees should make sure that all employees are aware of the
company’s safety and security rules to prevent incidents like this.

RISKAlert® is a publication of Risk & Security LLC

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Tags:
man dies in tuna oven
workplace safety

Inmate Patient Takes Sheriff’s Deputy’s Gun, Shoots Deputy and Kills Himself

Posted on August 25, 2014 10:23 am by Caroline Ramsey-Hamilton Comment

Prisoner Grabs Deputy’s Gun at a West Union, Iowa Hospital, Shoots Deputy & Turns Firearm on Himself.

At Palmer Lutheran Health Center, a full service hospital in West Union, Iowa, an inmate who was brought from Fayette County Jail on Saturday morning, August 23, at 8:30 am, grabbed the County Sheriff Deputy’s gun and demanded he be released, the deputy used a non-lethal device on the inmate, who then shot the deputy at close range. The inmate then killed himself with the handgun.

The deputy, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was shot in the stomach, but was treated and released at the site of the incident. The inmate, still unidentified, grabbed the gun when one of his hands was released for his medical treatment.

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. Forensic patients (prisoners) know it’s easier to escape
from the hospital room, or hospital bed, than it is to
escape from the County Jail! Security should be
present to support law enforcement. One deputy is
a minimum. Deputy with security officer present is
better.

2. Wearing a bulletproof vest saved the deputy’s life during the incident. Security officers should
consider having bulletproof vests available when dealing with this type of patient.

According to research in the Journal of Injury Prevention, “Shootings in U.S. Hospitals 2000 – 2011,
in 23% of shootings within hospital emergency departments, the weapon was a security officer’s gun taken by the perpetrator. https://www.llis.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/FA-gdkelen.pdf

IAHSS (International Association of Hospital Safety and Security), has policy guidelines for security departments that deal with forensic (inmate) patients. IAHSS members can access the Healthcare Security: Basic Industry Guidelines at www.iahss.org.

Security managers and hospital management need to make sure that All Hospital Staff including Clinical Staff
Are Warned to Use Extreme Caution When Working with or Near Forensic Patients!

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