A woman was shot to death while visiting a patient at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri, last month.
The killing has renewed calls for increased security measures at hospitals in the Kansas City metro.
Nurses from Research and Menorah medical centers held a news conference following last month’s shooting, urging HCA Healthcare, the parent organization, to provide metal detectors and trained security guards at all patient and visitor entrances throughout the hospital system.
“I would like a safe workplace for all healthcare personnel. I would like to see a safe place for patients to get care and for visitors to come visit their patients,” Madison Bhagalia said.
Bhagalia is a post-anesthesia care unit nurse at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. She’s also the National Nurse United and National Nurses Organizing Committee union representative.
In 2020, 76% of the more than 20,000 workplace violence injuries were in the healthcare or social assistance industry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to a University of Washington report, U.S. hospitals spent an estimated $18 billion in 2023 to address workplace violence prevention and post-incident.
In a statement to FOX 4 in Kansas City, HCA said plans are underway to improve security at Research Medical and suggested the nurses union's news conference exploited the killing.
“It is of no surprise that the leadership of the nurses’ union has chosen to take advantage of a tragic, heartbreaking loss of life to gain media attention and spread falsehoods. We remain focused on providing high-quality, compassionate care in a safe and healing environment,” the statement said.
HCA is the largest for-profit hospital system in the country. HCA Midwest Health operates seven hospitals and multiple clinics throughout Kansas City.
“Every single time that there's an incidence of violence, our union has been making it known that we would like to see increased security and protections,” Bhagalia said. “Just focusing on one hospital and one place, it's not enough, especially at the largest healthcare organization in the United States that continues to make record profits year after year.”
- Madison Bhagalia, post-anesthesia care unit nurse, Menorah Medical Center and NNU and NNOC union representative
