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Local media in the Ravenna, OH area was atwitter with news of an active shooter outside a VA medical center recently. The drama began when an employee arrived for work and noticed a man with a sawed-off shotgun kneeling and kissing a flagpole in front of the building. When the facilityโ€™s security officer was informed and went out to investigate, the kneeling man fired off a shot into the air, triggering calls to 911, a response from the SWAT unit, and enaction of the clinicโ€™s shelter-in-place procedure. Fortunately, the incident concluded without injury. The shotgun-toting individual, who it turned out was distraught over the death of a loved one, was taken into custody without a struggle and ultimately placed in a medical facility. Clearly the potential for massive tragedy was there, though. Itโ€™s an important reminder that the nature of an urgent care centerโ€”easily accessible to all, and with staff engaged with their duties and interacting with patientsโ€”leaves it vulnerable to bad actors. And then thereโ€™s the prospect of addicts and drug dealers assuming there are narcotics on site. You have to have a plan. JUCM addressed such scenarios from an urgent care perspective in an article entitled Protecting Your Urgent Care Center Against Robbery. Read it now and assess whether youโ€™ve done enough to prepare for the worst.

The Urgent Care Center Is a High-Risk Environment. Ensure Yours Is Secure