Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Riley | 191030-N-MZ309-017 NAVAL HOSPITAL BREMERTON, Wash. (Oct. 30, 2019) Naval Hospital...... read more read more
It can be every parent’s greatest fear, and a hospital’s worse nightmare.
A child is missing, presumed taken.
Naval Hospital Bremerton is ensuring such a terrifying ordeal never happens.
An infant/child abduction – referred to as a Code Pink – is an emergency internal response procedure that military treatment facilities and Defense Health Agency hospitals like NHB routinely train to counter, much like a Code Red for fire or a Code Blue for an adult/pediatric cardiac or respiratory arrest.
NHB conducted a Code Pink security drill on Oct. 30, 2019 to thoroughly familiarize department representatives on how to appropriately – and timely – respond.
“Practicing this exercise is very important to us. Awareness is key for all our staff to know what to do if such a scenario like this would take place. Protecting our patients, making sure they are safe and secure when they are at our command is a vital part of what we do in providing care to them,” said Mr. Honree Davis, Jr., NHB antiterrorism officer and physical security specialist
The Code Pink is activated when someone is attempting the unlawful or improper removal of an infant or child from an inpatient or outpatient area at NHB by person(s) either not authorized for contact by the family or not affiliated with NHB, or the family.
In other words, someone is trying to kidnap a kid.
The Code Pink procedure is a challenge for the more than 3,500 civilian and military hospitals nation-wide.
NHB utilizes overlapping safety and security procedures that includes periodic planning and training, staff educational awareness, with physical, technological, and electronic measures in place.
The Joint Commission (TJC) deems infant abduction as a safety priority and made it a reportable ‘sentinel event’ over two decades earlier. (note: a sentinel event, as described by TJC, is any unanticipated event in a healthcare setting resulting in death or physical/psychological casualty injury to a patient)
In one reported study from several years earlier, out of 235 actual cases, half of them occurred in a hospital setting. Most of the children abducted in a hospital setting – over 50 percent - are taken from their mother’s room.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there are several characteristics of what is considered a ‘typical’ abductor - although stressing not to rely just on a stereotype – noting that they will usually plan ahead of time to commit the abduction although not necessarily targeting a specific infant or child and relying on any opportunity; frequently impersonate a nurse of other healthcare professional; try to become familiar with healthcare staff and their routines; and make reconnaissance visits to areas of the hospital that they have no reason to be in.
According to Davis, if there is an actual abduction case, staff have been instructed in the proper protocol and course of action to handle the situation.
“We have steps in place that our active duty and civilian staff are prepared to follow ever if we are ever confronted in responding to such a situation,” Davis said.
Davis attests the best recourse in handling any emergency scenario, be it fire, earthquake, or abduction, is situational awareness.
“Like we remind everyone all the time; if you see something, say something,” stressed Davis.
| Date Taken: | 10.30.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2019 14:30 |
| Story ID: | 350075 |
| Location: | BREMERTON , WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 1,234 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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