Patient Fatally Shoots Herself in Fla. Hospital’s ICU
The woman was not put through traditional visitor screening.
Viera Hospital had installed metal detectors in its facility last year.
A woman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the intensive care unit of a Florida hospital early Sunday morning.
The unidentified woman was declared dead in Viera Hospital near Melbourne around 4 a.m., reports wesh.com.
The woman had been taken to the hospital the previous day after suffering a medical emergency. At some point that night she reportedly retrieved a handgun that had been hidden in her belongings.
No other patients or staff members were hurt in the incident.
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A hospital official said in a statement that the woman bypassed traditional security screening processes because she was brought by ambulance and immediately admitted to the ICU. That policy has been changed to improve patient screening.
“We are immediately implementing additional security screening procedures for patients who are admitted to our hospitals via ambulance,” Matthew Gerrell, vice president of marketing and communications with Health First, said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the patient’s family during this tragic time.”
The hospital had installed metal detectors and equipped security officers with wands last summer.
The hospital also increased the presence of security officers in the facility in the days following the incident.
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