Puyallup, Wash.-based MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital added a K-9 officer to its security team, The News Tribune reported Nov. 7.
The 3-year-old German shepherd is trained in patrol procedures and narcotics detection and also acts as an unofficial therapeutic dog for patients, Justin Worthington, site security and hospitality operations manager, said in the report.
The hospital paid for the dog's training and other necessities, amounting to roughly $100,000.
"The driving force behind getting the K-9 was we're dealing with this epidemic of lawlessness in our community and an escalation of increased workplace violence towards healthcare workers," Mr. Worthington told The News Tribune. "That's something that's actually well-studied and documented. It's continuing to rise and rise. A lot of people don't realize that healthcare workers actually have the highest rate of workplace violence out of almost any career field, including law enforcement."