In October, Baton Rouge, La.-based FMOL Health named Eric Clay chief security officer as its first system-level role focused on workplace safety. The move comes as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that 75% of all workplace violence incidents occur in healthcare settings.
“However, we know that number is artificially low,” Mr. Clay told Becker’s. “Only about 30% of nurses and around 26% of physicians are reporting workplace violence.”
As chief security officer, Mr. Clay’s primary focus is protecting caregivers. Implementing strategies to reduce risk is a top priority — and by doing so, addresses another challenge: caregiver anxiety around workplace violence.
Staff feedback is central to evaluating the success of safety initiatives. FMOL Health gathers input through rounds and annual surveys, where team members share their perceptions of workplace safety. Mr. Clay is also tracking specific metrics such as rates of patient-generated violence and caregiver retention.
“We also look at HCAHPS scores,” he said. “If we’re having the desired effect, our caregivers are more focused on providing that quality care; my belief is that we see HCAHPS scores go up as well.”
Mr. Clay brings more than 30 years of experience in security and law enforcement. Before joining FMOL Health, he was vice president of security services at Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System, overseeing security for 17 hospitals and 300 outpatient facilities. He previously held security leadership roles at Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth and at The Walt Disney Co., and also served in the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service.
Now, he leads FMOL Health’s systemwide security strategy, risk management, emergency preparedness and safety operations.
Success in creating new security leadership roles
As more healthcare organizations create C-suite and vice president-level roles focused on safety, Mr. Clay said one size definitely does not fit all.
“Not every organization is going to need a CSO — it’s dependent on where you’re at on your journey,” Mr. Clay said. “Once an organization decides that they would benefit from having one, they should find someone who possesses strong technical knowledge in the industry, proven leadership and great communication skills.”
Mr. Clay added that security leaders should have extensive experience in risk management and cybersecurity.
“There’s less siloing between physical and cybersecurity these days, because we see threats coming in that are blended threats,” he said.
Another critical factor is direct experience in healthcare, including industry-specific certifications.
“That ensures that they’re familiar with the issues, the regulations, the laws that are applicable to our industry, and is going to allow them to immediately contribute at a very high level,” he said.
If implementing this C-suite role, Mr. Clay also recommends that CSOs report to the CEO or chief administrative officer.
“That can promote better communication at that level, quicker decision making and give them greater influence and visibility in the organization,” he said.
Lessons from Disney’s playbook
At Disney, Mr. Clay said, employee safety reporting is encouraged — a culture healthcare should emulate.
“Disney creates an environment where employees feel safe to report concerns, near misses and other incidents without fear of blame,” he said. “As I travel and talk to nurses around the country, I get this feedback that sometimes they feel like they’re going to be blamed for incidents of patient-generated violence, so they don’t report it. We lose an opportunity to identify some of these issues and address systemic issues.”
Disney also emphasizes safety training and preparation. Staff receive frequent training and participate in exercises on various emergency scenarios.
“Disney has checklists for virtually every scenario you can think of,” Mr. Clay said. “We do that in some areas of hospitals, but I think really focusing on those scenarios would be a great thing for us to do as well.”
