Area Medical Facilities Consider Higher Security In Wake of Fatal Shooting
By Brad Segall
DARBY, Pa. (CBS) -- What security changes, if any, will come at local hospitals and health care facilities in the wake of Thursday's deadly shooting inside a medical office on the campus of Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, in Delaware County?
Even before this incident, a coalition of more than 60 hospitals in the Philadelphia area would meet regularly to talk about events that could disrupt care -- everything from an "active shooter" incident to transit strikes and snowstorms.
The group looks at all aspects of security and will likely take a close look at what happened here to determine if any changes are needed, including installation of metal detectors.
"Hospitals are a caring environment, and you don't want to think that incidents such as this can occur in that type of caring setting, but does that have to be looked at," says Mark Ross, regional manager for emergency preparedness for the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. "All options need to be looked at."
The doctor who was shot by his patient also had a gun and fired back. Ross says policies regarding weapons at medical facilities will also be looked at very closely.