Okanagan hospitals among facilities getting more security
The B.C. government is updating its protection model for the health care sector, and the hospitals in Vernon and Kelowna will be among 26 facilities benefiting from the hiring of new staff.
Vernon Jubilee Hospital and Kelowna General Hospital have been determined in need of improved security to protect health care workers from acts of violence, and the province will be rolling out new security model to offer increased protections for workers and patients.
“We know that health care employees experience more workplace violence than workers in other sectors; we know most health care employees have experienced or witnessed violence in their workplaces, and we know workplace violence significantly affects their physical and mental health, requiring health care employees to take time off work — or worse — leave the health care field entirely,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said.
“Making our health care facilities free of violence for employees and the patients who count on that requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach,” Dix added. “We will be implementing an innovative security model, called the Relational Security Model, in 26 health care settings across all health authorities, hiring 320 in-house protection service officers and 14 violence prevention leads to ensure security personnel have an acute awareness of patients and their surroundings.”
