Preparing for the Unexpected
While threats to our health system range from natural disasters to IT outages to acts of violence, we prepare for various scenarios to protect our physical, human and information assets.
  • Oversight and Management

    Our Safety, Security and Emergency Management team oversees planning related to emergency management, safety and physical security. They routinely assess potential risks, review and test emergency operations plans and train managers on incident management principles and business continuity. Topics include communication, decontamination, patient tracking and evacuation.

  • Emergency Response Planning

    Preparing for continued operation during a disaster is a key responsibility. Texas Health participates in functional exercises with local partners. It conducts internal drills and communication exercises with area hospitals, emergency responders and other authorities to test and fortify our emergency response systems.

    We use the National Incident Management System framework to manage threats and hazards and include the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s training resources in continuity and emergency response planning. These help us with quick response and recovery during unforeseeable adverse events. We refine or create new policies and plans as needed to guide our emergency management and training programs.

  • Texas Health Security Force Training Academy

    Texas Health provides standardized instruction to security officers that meets Texas Department of Public Safety regulations and licensing requirements. We also established the Texas Health Security Training Academy in 2018, with a curriculum tailored to healthcare and our system. Through the academy, we deliver instruction that provides a cohesive understanding of our procedures and expectations.

  • Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention Program

    Violence in healthcare settings has escalated in recent years as a result of illegal drug use, behavioral health issues, COVID-19 restrictions and other factors. To help employees prevent violence and respond to hostile patients and visitors, Texas Health created a Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention Program that includes training, tools and resources. From training employees on active shooter situations and crisis prevention intervention techniques to installing alerts that notify caregivers of violent patients, we are taking steps to keep our system safe.

  • Preventing Breaches and Cyberattacks

    As part of our efforts to keep our technological systems safe from cyberattack and privacy breaches, our Cyberthreat and Incident Response Team continuously monitors our network, builds firewalls, deploys intrusion protection tools, and encrypts and restricts access to information. We test our systems by conducting audits and contracting with independent specialists.

    We also take steps to protect medical devices from threats and map how devices communicate to provide protection mechanisms. When we discover deficiencies, we immediately put correction plans in place.

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Maintaining Security in Unprecedented Times

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with social and political unrest, made 2020 a challenging year for Texas Health’s security and police officers. A climate of fear, uncertainty and misinformation led to short tempers and, in some cases, threats of violence.

The first priority was to enforce COVID-19 protection measures by securing building entries, enforcing a mask mandate and restricting onsite visitors. While officers emphasized the safety benefits of these measures, a few patients, their loved ones and other consumers had negative reactions.

On the few occasions where threats or actual acts of violence were carried out, the officers had to de-escalate the situation, investigate, conduct background checks and make arrests. They also consulted with employees who filed charges against individuals who had inflicted harm intentionally. While no severe injuries occurred, Texas Health saw a slight increase in violent attacks by patients and visitors in 2020, primarily in emergency departments.

Later in the year, as more people required hospitalization and mortality rose, our security teams had to manage deceased patients' legal releases and acquire additional morgue resources. They then had to coordinate transportation to a designated funeral home for each of the deceased and often faced last-minute changes when the homes ran out of room.

Texas Health’s security and police officers are an invaluable asset to the protection and safety of our employees and the communities we serve. Their heroic efforts continue to make an impact on the care we provide every day.

Snapshot:

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with social and political unrest, made 2020 a challenging year for Texas Health’s security and police officers. A climate of fear, uncertainty and misinformation led to short tempers and, in some cases, threats of violence.

The first priority was to enforce COVID-19 protection measures by securing building entries, enforcing a mask mandate and restricting onsite visitors. While officers emphasized the safety benefits of these measures, a few patients, their loved ones and other consumers had negative reactions.

On the few occasions where threats or actual acts of violence were carried out, the officers had to de-escalate the situation, investigate, conduct background checks and make arrests. They also consulted with employees who filed charges against individuals who had inflicted harm intentionally. While no severe injuries occurred, Texas Health saw a slight increase in violent attacks by patients and visitors in 2020, primarily in emergency departments.

Later in the year, as more people required hospitalization and mortality rose, our security teams had to manage deceased patients' legal releases and acquire additional morgue resources. They then had to coordinate transportation to a designated funeral home for each of the deceased and often faced last-minute changes when the homes ran out of room.

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Consumer Experience and Satisfaction

CONSUMER SURVEYS

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Inpatient HCAHPS (National Percentile Rank)*

Rate hospital 0-10

66

61

63

64

62

Recommend the hospital

70

66

67

68

68

Nurse communication

58

47

42

45

46

Staff responsiveness

67

61

57

61

62

Doctor communication

59

52

41

48

45

Cleanliness

43

36

45

47

47

Quietness

68

65

62

65

65

Medicine communication

58

53

33

47

37

Discharge information

47

38

30

45

48

Care transitions

78

68

63

70

68

Ambulatory Surgery (National Percentile Rank)

Facility rating 0-10

67

65

74

66

59

Recommend the facility

64

65

75

70

60

Communication

57

57

79

73

69

Facility/personal treatment

56

55

62

53

54

Discharge

48

44

51

52

52

Emergency Department (ED) CAHPS (National Percentile Rank)

Rate ED care 0-10

76

79

77

73

74

Recommend the ED

83

85

77

77

78

Outpatient Services (National Percentile Rank)

Outpatient

77

80

91

89

92

Medical Practice (National Percentile Rank)

Overall doctor rating 0-10

47

50

51

66

76

Recommend this provider’s office

45

46

49

60

64

*National Percentile Rank reflects how Texas Health compares in a specific area to other U.S. hospitals, where 99 is the best and one is the worst.




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