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A petition calling for mandatory security screenings, including metal detectors and armed guards at all entrances, has quickly gained traction, with hundreds of signatures and growing.
A Preventable Tragedy?
The petition, launched in response to the Feb. 22 attack, points to a pattern of increasing violence in healthcare settings.
"When I visit WellSpan York, I have to show ID or go through a metal detector. When I visit UPMC – Hanover, West York, Harrisburg – I just walk right in," wrote one supporter. "Hospitals need to be secure for the employees, patients, and visitors."
Another signer, a retired UPMC employee, said, "No one wants to do anything until something happens. This could have been prevented."
UPMC Memorial had no weapons screening in place when Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz entered the hospital with a bag containing a semiautomatic handgun and zip ties, according to investigators. He was able to walk into the ICU, take hostages, and shoot five people—including three hospital staff members and two police officers before being killed by responding officers.
Frustration With UPMC Leadership
The push for stronger security comes as UPMC hospital staff and community members express frustration with the hospital system’s leadership.
"In 2012, a gunman targeting a UPMC hospital killed an employee and wounded several others," one commenter wrote. "Even after the horrific violence that was perpetrated in our ICU at Memorial, visitors can still walk into the other UPMC Central PA hospitals as if nothing happened."
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that healthcare workers are four times more likely to face workplace violence than those in other private-sector industries.
The petition demands UPMC immediately:
- Install metal detectors at all hospital entrances
- Require mandatory security screenings for all visitors and staff
- Increase armed security personnel presence
The petition’s creator urged, "This is not an isolated incident but part of an ongoing issue. A rigorous security system can greatly reduce the risk of violence and ensure a safer environment for all."
Will UPMC Respond?
Despite the mounting pressure, UPMC leadership has not publicly responded to the petition or confirmed whether security measures will change at their hospitals.
A York County ICU nurse who treated patients in the aftermath of the shooting said the lack of action is unacceptable:
"I have no confidence in the higher-ups at UPMC to do the right thing. They've failed our ICU family despite many years of warning signs and opportunities to change."
For now, the calls for change continue to grow.
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