NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Following the mass shooting on the campus of a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma this week, Chuck Welch with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System noted the security that the hospital has.
"Hospitals and clinics are places of healing," Welch said. "Everybody in there is trying to do their best to take care of people. Why gunmen feel the necessity to threaten and to attack those places, including schools, is just beyond me. We do have a very robust security team. Chris Cooper leads that team, along with Cory Griffith's, and both of those gentlemen are ex-military and law enforcement. We have a security team posted at every door. We have security throughout the hospital, if needed."
Just like any other large public place, the hope is never to need it.
"I wish I could say that we don't need those folks," Welch said. "Unfortunately, we do. I feel pretty secure that we're ready to assist any aggressive folks off the campus, if needed, but we sure hope that people unite as a community and try to identify individuals like that and just help us keep them out of the hospital."
Hospital and community staff recently conducted a mass casualty event drill based on a natural disaster scenario.