Theft of expensive hospital medical equipment: how professional thieves have been operating in Florida; what you should be doing to protect your hospital's assets

A number of Florida hospitals report they have fallen prey to thieves who are dressing as hospital workers or service company employees and stealing expensive medical equipment. The thefts are creating both financial loss to hospitals and the danger that some lifesaving equipment will be missing when needed. More than 50 hospitals have been hit over the past 18 months, says Jim Kendig, incoming president of the Florida Society for Healthcare Security and Safety Professionals, Orlando. Are these thefts the tip of the iceberg? Logic dictates they are taking place or will take place elsewhere, since there is nothing different security-wise or equipment-wise about Florida hospitals compared to those in the rest of the country that would limit criminals to one state. Therefore, the lessons learned by Florida hospitals, as detailed in this report, are worth heeding elsewhere.

The role of an investigator in healthcare protection

The author discusses three types of investigations the healthcare security officer may be concerned with--employee theft, homicide and violent crimes, and fraud. He examines the role of the investigator as puzzle solver and the steps that need to be taken to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place.

Applying new developments in surveillance technology in healthcare facilities: an update

Innovations in equipment, and the growing competition in the field of video technology, have lowered the cost and improved the quality of surveillance systems. As a result, healthcare security directors are increasing their purchase of new equipment and upgrading existing systems, especially when implementing security for expanding facilities. In this report, we will give details on some technological advancements and how five hospitals are applying them.

Adolescent stealers' and nonstealers' social problem-solving skills

Eleven adolescents with a history of stealing in the past year were compared to 11 nonstealers on social problem-solving skills. The stealers showed a tendency not to consider the passage of time necessary for solving social problems on the Means-Ends Problem Solving (MEPS) test. In addition, adolescents who exhibited delinquency tendencies, as measured by the Jesness Inventory, showed a cognitive bias for generating ineffective solutions to hypothetical social problems. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Detecting and detering employee theft

Physician group practices can limit their vulnerability to employee theft by taking steps to detect theft when it occurs and to deter future occurrences. Steps for detecting theft include being wary of an employee's refusal to take earned time off, conducting periodic credit checks on employees, rotating employees' duties, and conducting impromptu reviews of the practice's finances. Steps for detering theft include routing the practice's checks to a lock box; reviewing cash reports; reconciling check with deposit statements; separating employees' duties; reviewing bank, credit card, and ATM statements; setting the tone for prudent financial management; and reporting cases of theft when they occur.

Retail employees as a group at risk for violence

Citing studies in which convicted robbers have been interviewed to determine their motives and what factors may have deterred them from committing a planned robbery, the author traces patterns of violence at convenience stores over the past 20 years. She points out that because two thirds of workplace homicides are robbery-related, any efforts to stem the number of robberies will probably also curb the number of homicides.