5 West Nursing

No I’m not talking about nursing. I’m talking about what happened on Saturday, December 16, 2006 as I came out of work that day.

Call it a random act of vandalism, nobody deserves this.

Imagine working all night, coming out tired, getting into your vehicle, starting the engine and getting ready to leave when you discovered that your side view mirror has been ripped off! It’s just unfortunate that this sort of thing does happen, but I’m sure it could have been prevented if we had security systems in place.

In the almost 2 years I’ve worked at MMC, I’ve never seen security as priority number 1. I discovered that there are no security vehicles patrolling the parking lot area, especially after dark. There is only one security guard stationed for the whole hospital at night, and most of the time they do not have any sort of backup. The parking lot does not have security cameras or panic buttons, and lighting is less than ideal. I’m surprise with a hospital of this size and the area we work in, security isn’t priority #1. I don’t know about you, but if you cannot leave your car at night knowing that somehow it will be intact in the morning, then I guess you can’t depend on anyone these days.

You’re probably thinking, big deal… it didn’t happen to me. Yup, but just wait… eventually a life will be taken and then what?

I’m sure our security department is working on something. But for the meantime let me propose the following:

1) Security cameras in the parking lot. Walmart does it, why can’t McAllen Medical Center. After all, we’re the Ritz-Carlton of Healthcare.

2) More security personnel especially at night. 1 in the Lobby, and 2 in the parking lot, with better security vehicles for them to patrol in.

3) Panic buttons and better lighting in strategic areas. I’ve worked at a hospital where the lighting was such that no one dare do anything stupid… like ripping of someone’s side mirror. If there was an attacker, the victim can run to a nearby panic button which emits an alarm so loud the deaf could hear it. Security can then respond to the area before something bad really happens.

4) Make security top priority. I believe that there has to be a system where we are able to know if someone belongs in the parking lot or not. No loitering should be allowed, and security should be more or less paranoid. If this was the case, I believe we can breath a little easy and know that McAllen Medical Center really cares for it’s employees. After all, if they take care of their own people, then I believe they can take care of their patients as well.

I’m hoping this sort of thing doesn’t happen to anyone, but until then, take care of yourselves. Hmmm…that 12 gauge shotgun at Hunters-R-Us suddenly looks appealing. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t fit under my scrubs!