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Mon Aug 3 03:59:06 BST 2009

Before it was shut down, King Drew Medical Center in South LA was cited by CMS for allowing it's county police officers to use their tasers to control psychiatric patients. After the hospital administration said it retrained staff on proper control methods, officers still showed up at drills with tasers. This was one of the many problems that led CMS to revoke the hospital's ability to bill Medicare. The rules of engagement that work for police on the street are a setup for liability if not modified for the hospital.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven P. Rogers, RN <rogers3 at socal.rr.com>
To: 'Trauma-List [TRAUMA.ORG]' <trauma-list at trauma.org>
Sent: Mon, Aug 3, 2009 10:02 am
Subject: RE: Taser in ER

I work in a County hospital.  As such, there are LA County Police patrolling
the property and various departments.  They are POST Certified, Sworn Law
Enforcement Officers.  They carry all types of weapons (Guns, Rifles,
Shotguns, Less Lethal Weapons) including tasers and they have had the
occasion to deploy them within our ER.  For those that think it is not
necessary, ENA (and other organizations) see's workplace violence as a high
concern amongst ER nurses.  Also, there have been several assaults of
patients onto staff, patients and others, including doctors being shot to
death in LAC/USC!  So please do not say it is not necessary!

We also have a private security firm managing all points of entrance into
our hospital and they are armed with baton's..They too have been assaulted
although they are not trained to the same level as our County Police.

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]
On Behalf Of cadeth66 at aol.com
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 2:35 PM
To: Trauma-List [TRAUMA.ORG]
Subject: Re: Taser in ER

I personally believe its over-kill for any Hospital security guard to be
armed.

  Granted some of the people we treat may be potentially dangerous most of
the time a situation can be verbally de-escalated

Matthew Schumacher, EMT-B

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Hoerner <jhoerner at gmail.com>

Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 17:30:23
To: Trauma-List [TRAUMA.ORG]<trauma-list at trauma.org>
Subject: Re: Taser in ER

Here in PA, there is a Level-1 Trauma Center that has not one, but all
of their security officers carrying tasers.  However, they aren't
using the typical "yellow" colored tasers.  All of their's are black
so it almost looks like they are armed unless you know what you are
looking at to realize it is just a taser.

I haven't heard of any of their security officers actually using the
taser...

Since I'm not involved in hospital security, I won't question their
reasoning but it does make me wonde
r just a little bit.

Jon Hoerner, BS NREMT-P
Allentown, PA

On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 5:11 PM, <ghowd at statems.net> wrote:
> None here in Michigan, thank the gods of liability. At face value, this
may be one of worst, potentially ironic, ideas I've heard of in some time.
> ------Original Message------
> From: Andrew J Bowman
> Sender: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org
> To: Trauma & Critical Care mailing list
> ReplyTo: Trauma-List [TRAUMA.ORG]
> Subject: Taser in ER
> Sent: Aug 2, 2009 14:09
>
> I saw in the USA TODAY that Eastern Maine Medical Center ER would be
> purchasing a Taser to keep in the department. Any others have one in
> their ER?
>
> Typed by my index finger and sent from my iPhone.
>
> Andrew J Bowman
> Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
> Trauma Nurse Specialist
> Paramedic
>
> Witham Health Services
> Emergency Department
> Lebanon, Indiana
> 765-485-8500 Work
> 765-426-4189 Cell
> 765-485-8509 Fax
> --
> trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
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>
> Guy E. Howd EMTP, EMSIC
> Clinical Quality Coordinator
> STAT EMS
> The information contained in the e-mail is confidential and propriety. It
is not to be disclosed or made public without the expressed consent of STAT
EMS, Inc.
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Taser in ER