Healthcare facilities face a unique security challenge that most venues never encounter: balancing immediate access to life-saving care with protecting staff from escalating workplace violence. When nursing unions are advocating for security improvements and physicians are questioning whether they can continue working without better protection, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
That’s exactly the situation Shared Health Manitoba faced at their downtown Winnipeg facilities.
The Reality of Healthcare Security
Unlike corporate offices or entertainment venues, healthcare facilities can’t simply restrict access or implement extensive screening procedures. Emergency departments must remain open and accessible to vulnerable populations experiencing mental health crises, substance use disorders, and other complex social challenges.
Yet these same facilities were experiencing weapons incidents that made headlines and directly impacted staff retention. Healthcare workers were facing an impossible choice between their safety and their commitment to patient care.
A Solution That Actually Works
Our new case study with Manitoba Health demonstrates how the right technology can solve this seemingly impossible challenge. After extensive vendor evaluation and consultation with early adopters, Shared Health Manitoba deployed Xtract One SmartGateway at three critical locations.
The results speak for themselves:
- 97% of security staff support system expansion
- 82% of patients felt safer after screening
- High compliance rates even among vulnerable populations (individuals willingly cooperating with the system and following security personnel instructions)
The Broader Impact
With unions pushing for broader implementation of solutions and government receptivity to healthcare safety funding, Manitoba’s experience provides a roadmap for healthcare facilities worldwide struggling with similar challenges.
The success has shifted the conversation from “when will the next weapons incident occur” to “how quickly can we expand this technology,” exactly the kind of transformation healthcare security needs.
Download the Complete Case Study
Get the full story of how Manitoba Health balanced accessibility with security, achieved a great decrease in incidents at high-risk facilities, and gained overwhelming support from both staff and patients.