DUBOIS – Providing a safe environment for patients, families and employees has always been a top priority for Penn Highlands Healthcare.
With growth of the PH DuBois Emergency Department, increasing patient volumes and the expansion of behavioral health services, PH DuBois is partnering with DuBois City to provide 24/7 police coverage at both of the PH DuBois campuses.
These officers will work in conjunction with the current hospital security team, and this police coverage agreement was announced Friday during a joint press conference in council chambers at the DuBois City Municipal Building.
The city and hospital will work together to improve patient safety by standardizing police procedures, provide better scheduling availability of officers and security staff and will facilitate the performance and adherence to police standards at PH DuBois.
The officers will patrol both campuses, but primarily, time will be focused at the Emergency Department at PH DuBois West location, according to Rhonda Halstead, vice president of support services at PH DuBois and PH Clearfield president.
“Our priority has always been and will continue to be to keep the staff and patients safe,” Halstead said, “and we believe having an officer readily available will help with this effort. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
The city will hire up to six, full-time equivalent police officers to provide these additional police services, with the costs for these officers being paid by Penn Highlands. The anticipated start date of the hospital-based police officer coverage will be summer 2021.
“We personally would like to thank the mayor, city council, city manager as well as Penn Highlands … for trusting and respecting us – the DuBois City Police Department – with this alliance,” said Police Chief Blaine Clark.
“I will commit that we will exceed all expectations … for the good of the community. This will be an enhancement to the safety and security of every employee, patient and visitor of PH DuBois.”
Clark has assigned Assistant Police Chief Dustin Roy to oversee the police coverage partnership with PH DuBois on behalf of the city police department to ensure it will work “seamlessly with professionalism and commitment.”
Roy said the department already handles quite a few calls for police service with the high volume of people in and out of the PH DuBois campuses on a daily basis.
Calls range from disabled motorists and vehicle accidents to mental health emergencies and assaults. “There’s a whole gamut of calls, and always seems to be a need for police services.”
This partnership, Roy said, will expand police coverage, increase response times, etc., which is a plus not only for the hospital, but also for the patients and community as a whole because patrol officers can focus more on their community.
Safety and efficiency are the two primary goals of the agreement, according to Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers. “Patients and staff will have an officer there around the clock for their safety.
“It’ll also free up time for patrol officers … because there will already be an officer there and before the incident may escalate. I really believe it’s a beautiful marriage between the city and Penn Highlands for the safety of all.”
If requested by the city, the police officers assigned to PH DuBois may leave the premises to assist the other city police officers in an emergency.
“We don’t take this lightly in our community,” said City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio, adding that “we’ve been working on this for years and it’s putting safety first. It will make both entities better and stronger.”
