Sorensen Wilder & Associates

Information may not be reliable

Sadly, we see news coverage of another hospital shooting incident yesterday, just days after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released updated figures on healthcare safety for 2007, the most recent year available. In the report, it is noted that the healthcare industry continues to dominate all industries for acts of violence against employees...59% of the assaults against workers in the workplace occurred in healthcare!

For all the years of data covered, ambulatory healthcare consistently led other healthcare sectors, including hospitals and nursing care facilities, in distribution of fatal occupational injuries.
Assaults and violent acts on healthcare workers occurred most often from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed closely by noon to 4 p.m.

The recent OSHA citation of a hospital in Connecticut for failing to prepare to deal with acts of workplace violence serves as notice on the healthcare industry that we are now on the OSHA radar, and these that we must act now.

Develop a written Workplace Violence Management Plan (notice I don't call it a Prevention plan) that includes post-incident analysis and follow-up
Have a violence risk assessment performed by a qualified professional to identify vulnerabilities in the hospital, as well as to identify high-risk departments in the hospital
Develop a REALISTIC training program that includes major emphasis on the art of the talkdown, but also places equal emphasis on hand to hand protection and physical management of the aggressive patient
Mandate training in all departments that are recognized as high-risk for incidents of workplace violence

We have worked with clients across the nation in developing these programs, and stand ready to serve you in any way needed.

SWA WELCOMES TIM SUTTON, BA, CPP AS ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT
Steve Wilder, President and COO of Sorensen, Wilder & Associates has announced the addition of Tim Sutton, BA, CPP as an associate consultant with SWA. Previously, Tim was an account manager for Securitas Security Services USA, Inc. where he served as the Director of Security for Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, IL. Prior to this he created and directed Loss Prevention at Harper Oil Co., Inc. and spent 13 years supervising Loss Prevention for National and Schnuck's Supermarkets. Tim is a member of ASIS International, and served on the ASIS International Healthcare Security Council in 2009 and 2010. He is also a Senior Member of IAHSS (The International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety) and a member of the IAHSS Guidelines Council and serves as ASIS Liaison 2009, 2010.
Tim holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, and is also a graduate of the John E. Reid & Associates program on The Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation as well as the Advanced Course in The Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation.
Tim will work with SWA clients in the healthcare, retail, and public safety safety sectors. We welcome Tim to the SWA family.
PORN SUSPECT HAD STOLEN HOSPITAL RECORDS
Stolen radiology reports and mammograms were just a few of the over 150,000 images that an Ohio man charged with 72 counts of voyeurism and child pornography had in his possession. Read more at:
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20106150304
SWA NOW ON FACEBOOK!
If you are a Facebook user, we invite you to become a "Friend" of SWA on the popular social networking site, where we bring you all of the latest news on safety, security, emergency preparedness, training, and more!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Champaign-IL/Sorensen-Wilder-Associates/364912555803
SWA ASSISTS THREE ILLINOIS COUNTIES DEVELOP TIC PLANS
With the addition of the Kankakee County Emergency Management Agency, SWA has now been retained to assist three Illinois counties in developing their Tactical Interoperable Communications Plans (TICP) in accordance with IEMA requirements. A well written TIC plan sets the foundation for multiple agencies and disciplines to communicate with one another during a disaster situation. The TICP requirements, which came about following the communication difficulties encountered after Hurricane Katrina, creates interoperable communications capabilities between police, fire, EMS, hospitals, public works, schools, municipal governments and county and state governments.
For more information on developing your TIC Plan, contact SWA at 800-568-2931.
SCHOOL SECURITY ISSUES CONTINUE TO DRAW ATTENTION
Schools, colleges, and universities are being plagued by an increase in violence, and administrators are scrambling for solutions. Sorensen, Wilder & Associates (SWA) wants to point out that quick fixes will not provide the answers we need, and that corrective measures have to be taken from a programmatic approach, and must include the entire security program.
Steve Wilder, President and COO of Sorensen, Wilder & Associates (SWA) was recently a guest on WGN Chicago Channel 9 News, talking about emerging issues in school security. With school clients across the nation, SWA has earned a national reputation for it's no-nonsense approach to securing our schools. Steve spoke to a national audience on the Chicago-based super station about the P2T2 approach to securing schools, and how People, Programs, Training, and Technology must all be addressed in order to have a complete school security program.
For more information, contact SWA at 800-568-2931

SWA's "THE ESSENTIALS OF AGGRESSION MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHCARE" NOW AVAILABLE AS IN-HOUSE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER PROGRAM
In Economics 101, we learned the basic rule of supply and demand. At SWA, we are now experiencing it firsthand. Since our book "The Essentials of Aggression Management in Healthcare: From Talkdown to Takedown" was first published, our program by the same title has become so popular, we can no longer keep up with the demand for training. As a result, SWA has announced the development of a Train-The-Trainer class, designed to allow hospitals to use in-house instructors to provide this popular training.

The Chief Nurse Executive at one Midwest hospital which recently adopted the SWA program for in-house use said "we have used a number of other programs in the past, but turned to the SWA program because it was specifically focused on hospitals, and because it was taught by experienced hospital security professionals. The training was realistic, enjoyable, and affordable".