Johnson City, Tenn.-based Ballad Health will begin using weapons detection systems at all of its hospitals Nov. 11, citing a rise in workplace violence.
The systems will be installed at designated entrances to inpatient facilities and are designed to detect guns and knives before they enter patient care areas, according to a Nov. 10 news release. Visitors entering through equipped entrances will be directed through screening and, in many cases, can pass through without emptying their pockets or removing belongings. Security personnel may conduct additional screening if an item of concern is detected.
Ballad recorded 1,541 workplace violence incidents in 2025, up nearly 19% from the previous year, according to the system. At Bristol, Tenn.-based Bristol Regional Medical Center, Kingsport, Tenn.-based Holston Valley Medical Center and Johnson City-based Johnson City Medical Center, 12 random bag checks found 318 weapons, including 65 guns and 218 knives. The system said a patient recently fired a gun inside Holston Valley Medical Center before entering a hallway with the weapon. No one was injured.
“Team members want to focus on the needs of the patients they care for but find themselves also having to be concerned with their own safety. This is unacceptable,” said Eric Deaton, Ballad’s COO.
Weapons detection is one part of a “Call Early. Call Often.” safety initiative that also includes de-escalation and active threat response training, new Epic alerts that allow staff to flag prior aggressive patient behavior, signage, evaluation of visitor identification processes, expanded security resources including trained canines at more locations and updated reporting policies. Ballad also said it is advocating for stronger protections for healthcare workers in Tennessee and Virginia.
Other health systems have also added screening measures. Columbus, Ohio-based OhioHealth said it would have metal detectors at the public entrances of all its hospitals and emergency departments by the end of 2026, and New York now requires hospitals and nursing homes to establish workplace violence prevention programs.
