Great Plains Health increases safety measures with new weapons detection screening
Contact: Megan McGown
North Platte, Neb., February 6, 2024 – To ensure an environment that promotes wellbeing and workplace safety, Great Plains Health is implementing a new safety screening in the emergency department.
“Great Plains Health is a place of compassion and healing,” said Ivan Mitchell, Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “The safety of our patients, staff and visitors is important to us. We are using the latest technology to add an extra layer of security to encourage an even safer environment, without impacting the visitor experience.”
Safety measures go into effect February 12. All patients, visitors and staff entering the emergency department will pass through the Evolv security screening device, which helps detect weapons while minimizing disruption. The screening is brief, and requires individuals to walk through a detector similar to what visitors at a concert or sporting venue may encounter. Individuals walk through the screening without needing to remove items or any clothing. The system can differentiate between real threats and the everyday metal items people carry with them such as belts and jewelry, or medical implants such as heart monitors.
Great Plains Health is a weapons-free facility. The addition of the screening was not in response to any particular incident locally, but rather is designed to uphold policies, and promote an environment of safety, civility and healing. The new safety measure is an extra step to ensure safety among the growing nationwide trend of violence in healthcare settings. Great Plains Health is committed to offering patients, staff and visitors a safe environment where healing is the focus.
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About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning more than 67,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.