At 7:07 a.m.,
police apprehend-
ed the alleged
assailant, identi-
fied as Kyron
Templeton, less
than a block from
the hospital and
recovered the
knife.
"The staff
grieved, mourned,
got angry and cried, and then learned from the event and became
stronger," says Beth Chrismer, MSN, RN, Good Shepherd's director of
medical care review.
In the wake of the rampage, the center's challenge was to strike a
balance between creating a secure facility and maintaining an open,
welcoming environment for patients and visitors.
Interestingly, just 3 weeks before the stabbings, the surgery center
had implemented an active shooter/hostage response plan. They
called it a "Code Silver," indicating a person with a gun was on the
premises. They changed it to an "armed assailant" response plan after
the actual event involving a knife.
The training worked. Staff moved patients into locked storage
rooms and restrooms. Appropriate resources were called on —
police, hospital security and staff. "The ASC staff response was swift
and heroic," says Ms. Chrismer.
The surgery center has since implemented many safety and security
measures, including increased security rounds, keypad access on
stairwells, RFID badge access to clinical areas and cameras with
5 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6
• WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Gail Sandidge, RN, 57, was fatally stabbed by a patient's son.
Good
Shepherd
Ambulatory
Surgical
Center
