You must use vigilance when checking visitors’ IDs
A special bulletin has been disseminated only to law enforcement agencies and select health care providers in which the authorities warn about the danger of people impersonating various officials to gain access to hospitals. The bulletin notes, "Counterterrorism analysts remain concerned that terrorist organizations may attempt to target U.S. medical infrastructure in order to cause immediate casualties and disrupt health care and emergency medical services."
The advisory was prepared by the New Jersey Office of Counter-Terrorism, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety. This is an excerpt from the bulletin:
Individuals Posing as Hospital Surveyors
TO EMERGENCY SERVICES, HEALTH CARE SECTORS:
In the last two weeks, three U.S. hospitals in Los Angeles, Boston, and Detroit reported individuals posing as Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) surveyors arrived at their facilities and asked to tour different areas of the hospitals. According to JCAHO administrators, the individuals were not associated with the commission nor were there any planned inspections at the facilities.
Feb. 26, 2005, at approximately 3 a.m., a Caucasian man and Caucasian woman posing as JCAHO surveyors arrived at a Los Angeles hospital. The man is described as in his mid30s, approximately 6-feet tall, and dressed professionally. The woman, also in her mid30s, has dark reddish hair. A security guard at the hospital believed he saw the two individuals wearing badges similar to those used by genuine JCAHO surveyors. The Impostors exited after they were stopped by hospital security.
In the second incident, on March 3, 2005, at 3 a.m., a man described as 35-40, of South Asian descent, 6-feet tall, and with a short black beard and mustached, demanded to inspect a medical facility in Boston. The man left the premises after being questioned by hospital staff.
In the third incident, in the morning of March 10, 2005, a Caucasian woman described as in her mid40s, 5 feet, 7 inches, 160 pounds, with blonde hair, entered a Detroit hospital through the maternity ward and began wandering around the facility. When hospital staff questioned her, she stated that she was a JCAHO surveyor. After further questioning, she fled the premises.
Suspicious events have occurred in the past year at New Jersey medical facilities that appear unrelated to the three incidents described in this advisory. The suspicious events have included irregular inquiries, incidents of surveillance, and suspicious employees and patients. In particular, on March 11, 2004, an adult male of Middle Eastern appearance entered the emergency department of Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg Township at approximately 4 a.m. and directed several atypical and evidently prepared questions to the duty nurse relating to the hospital’s bed capacity and the means by which care is delivered to patients.
A special bulletin has been disseminated only to law enforcement agencies and select health care providers in which the authorities warn about the danger of people impersonating various officials to gain access to hospitals. The bulletin notes, Counterterrorism analysts remain concerned that terrorist organizations may attempt to target U.S. medical infrastructure in order to cause immediate casualties and disrupt health care and emergency medical services.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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