Mass. Hospital Staff Members Decry Change in Security Policy as Attacks Continue

Safety at Work

Tewksbury, MA (WorkersCompensation.com) – On Friday, April 17, a Tewksbury State Hospital worker was violently assaulted, the third incident since the state of Massachusetts changed security policies at the hospital.

Tewksbury Police Chief Ryan Columbus said officers were called the hospital to help the staff member after and adult male patient allegedly assaulted the staff member in an unprovoked attack. Columbus said the patient “has an extensive violent criminal history,” and is being charged with assault and battery on a health care worker.

"A preliminary investigation determined that the patient went up to the nurses' station and was acting erratically," Columbus said. "When one of the mental health workers approached him, the patient stood in a fighting position and struck the employee in the face twice."

The incident is the third since the state’s Department of Public Health (DPH) changed its security policy and took “defensive tactical weapons” away from hospital security personnel.

In early April, the security team at the facility was told they can no longer carry items like pepper spray, handcuffs and batons. That decision, Tewksbury Hospital CEO Amy Dumont said, was made after consideration of several key factors and extensive research. Dumont said the hospital is a place of “healing” and the facility and its staff members work to balance security and protection with their overall health mission.

"I want to assure nurses, clinical staff, support staff and others who work with patients: your safety matters deeply," Dumont wrote in an email to staff. "This policy does not weaken our commitment to protecting you. It means we are relying on approaches that work best in health care."

After the change in policy though, a number of staff members have been attacked by patients or family members in the facility.

Last week, a pregnant hospital staff member was attacked, according to police, when a patient pushed a chair into her.

Officials said Eduardo Cruceta, 28, of Boston, was at the hospital on April 12 visiting a family member who was a patient at Tewksbury State Hospital. During the visit, Cruceta’s family member appeared to suffer a medical episode, police said, causing Cruceta to act “erratically and was threatening to kill employees.”

Police said security was called, but they were not able to get Cruceta out of the hospital room. During the effort to remove Cruceta, he allegedly pushed a large chair into the pregnant staff member. Police were able to arrest Cruceta without incident and he was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a public employee.

A defense attorney for Cruceta said he has no criminal record and that he panicked as his brother was having a seizure, and moved the chair as he was trying to get to him. The attorney characterized the contact with the staff member as “accidental.”

Cruceta was released on personal recognizance on the condition that he stay away from the staff member and the hospital.

Just days after the tactical defense weapons were removed, a 59-year-old patient hit a staff member in the face. A preliminary investigation of that incident determined the patient had been acting erratically and was standing in a fighting stance when hospital staff approached him. The patient then struck the staff member. Other staff members then worked to restrain the patient and administer medicine to him.

Nurses told media outlets that the decision by Tewksbury to change the security policy leaves them concerned for their safety.

"Never, not once have we as frontline workers or members of the union ever been brought to the table to discuss, give our input on what can be done here to make this hospital safe," registered nurse Ryan Wilkins told WBTS. "I need a security team around me to provide a safe response for myself and my nurses and my healthcare providers in a setting that contains nearly 70 percent of a forensic population."

Wilkins told news outlets that he plans to take his complaints to the governor.

"Each day since this policy has changed, fear and concern has grown," Wilkins added. "I have spoken with many nurses on a daily basis, I have spoken with talented expert clinicians who are considering leaving state service and leaving their work at Tewksbury Hospital."

After the policy change, a spokesperson with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the health and safety of patients and staff at their facilities is their top priority.

"We are incredibly grateful to our staff members who prioritize patient care and safety even in the most difficult of circumstances," the spokesperson said. "Updating the Tewksbury State Hospital security policy to eliminate the use of pepper gel and other weapons balances our therapeutic mission with our responsibility to keep patients and staff safe. We are in close communication with local police and actively monitoring the implementation of this policy change to make sure our staff are equipped with the most appropriate tools and de-escalation strategies to keep themselves and others safe."

Since the attacks, nurses at the facility have called the decision "incredibly unsafe and dangerous." State Rep. David Robertson (D-Tewksbury) told the WBZ-TV news crews that he is frustrated by the change and that he hopes the state will reverse course.

The Tewksbury police chief, the town's select board and hospital staff have all condemned the decision and asked the state to reverse course.

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