Anatomy of an incident: Impostors thwarted
When a gentleman of Middle Eastern appearance entered the ED at Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg, NJ, March 11, 2004, he began asking the duty nurse atypical questions relating to the hospital’s bed capacity, the means by which care was delivered, and how many patients the department had at certain times.
"We had caught him on closed circuit," says Robert Fulper, chief of security.
"As he looked up and put his hands over his face, we knew [he was not a legitimate visitor]." However, having noticed the security cameras, the individual left before security could reach him.
"If he had not left, the nurse probably would have kept him in conversation while notifying us with the silent code system," says Fulper, noting the ED staff are trained to know how to notify security without letting the intruder know. "We use an in-house cell phone and coded conversation," he explains. "The nurse will say something like, This is Dotty; I’m back in,’ and we’d know something was wrong.’"
The staff also are trained to stop anyone without a hospital badge, he continues. "So, if they flash credentials, you know something is up," Fulper says.
This can be a sensitive area, however, warns Bill Rogers, MD, FACEP, vice chairman of the ED at Middletown (OH) Regional Hospital. Rogers also is a full-time police officer with the Blue Ash (OH) Police Department and a tactical team member and medical support officer with the Hamilton County (OH) SWAT.
"You cannot predict all visits," he notes. "They may be agents from the pharmacy board who are conducting an unannounced investigation. These are valid officers sworn to uphold the law, and if they have a lawful reason [to be there] and you interfere, you could be arrested for obstructing." Rogers adds, however, that such visits usually take place during the day shift.
Fulper says, "I was told by the Joint Commission that even if it were an unannounced visit, they would not be coming in at 3 o’clock in the morning." He was also told surveyors all have been warned to expect to have their credentials scrutinized carefully by hospital staff when they come in unannounced. (See box, below.)
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Here is what to expect from a JCAHO surveyor Are you concerned about impostor surveyors visiting your ED? You should be, says Joe Cappiello, vice president for accreditation/field operations at the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. He urges ED managers to question anyone claiming to be a surveyor at your facility. Surveyors are well aware of the problem with impostors and will not be offended by a request for identification or even being asked to wait while you confirm that they are who they say they are. Keep these points regarding impostors from Cappiello in mind:
At a minimum, Cappiello advises taking these steps:
"Outside of normal business hours, if there is any doubt, the surveyor will know how to get hold of me. They have my number, and I’ll be glad to verify who they are," Cappiello says. |
That certainly would be the case at Warren Hospital, Fulper says.
"If individuals came in without a hospital pass unannounced, and they came in during the day, they would be stopped by frontline staff," he says. "If they said they had credentials, they would be asked to have a seat, and we would they verify they were who they said they were."
[Editor’s note: For more information about the incident at Warren Hospital, contact Robert Fulper, Chief of Security, Warren Hospital, 185 Roseberry St., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865. Phone: (908) 859-8858.]
When a gentleman of Middle Eastern appearance entered the ED at Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg, NJ, March 11, 2004, he began asking the duty nurse atypical questions relating to the hospitals bed capacity, the means by which care was delivered, and how many patients the department had at certain times.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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