LA/OC IAHSS Recognizes Hospital Security Officers for Saving Lives, Outstanding Performances

Award recipient Phillip Casares of Huntington Hospital.

On Sunday, August 11, 2019, Security Officer Phillip Casares was dispatched to the 5th Floor of the East Tower regarding a Huntington Hospital employee who was in a restroom, possibly attempting to harm herself with a knife. Upon arrival to the unit, Casares met with a Patient Care Associate assigned to the floor who stated that she had no knowledge of anything unusual going on. Casares took it upon himself and asked the employee to assist him in looking for the female employee by showing him the location of all the unit’s restrooms.

Casares approached a women’s restroom in the far end hallway and found the door locked. Officer Casares detected shuffling sounds and whimpering coming from inside the restroom. As Casares knocked on the door, he made his presence known and used improvised tools to unlock the door. He encountered a little resistance but was able to force the door open.

As the door opened, Casares saw the female employee sitting on the floor of the restroom, holding undisclosed objects in her hands. He spoke with the employee and convinced her to drop the items from her hand. The female employee complied and dropped her cellphone and a surgical scalpel to the floor.

Casares entered the restroom slowly and cautiously and secured the scalpel by picking it up and removing it from the room. Casares saw the employee had deep cuts on both arms, extending from the inner part of her wrists to the middle of her forearms. The employee was crying and her arms were bleeding heavily to the point where there was blood puddling on the floor and her clothing was soaked. 

Casares called the Security Operations Center via two-way radio, requesting immediate assistance and called for a Code Rapid Response, where the medical response team arrived within minutes. Additional officers arrived and secured the hallway and redirected all foot-traffic away from the area to prevent delaying the arrival of the responding team.

After medical staff wrapped the employee’s wounds, she was assisted onto a wheelchair and transported to the Emergency Department for treatment and evaluation. Officer Casares assisted with escorting the employee to the ER, staying by her side the entire time.