番茄社区

Following last Wednesday's tragic shooting in a Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital, in which a disgruntled patient killed two doctors, a receptionist, and another patient before turning the gun on himself, yet another violent attack on healthcare workers unfolded at a hospital in the Los Angeles area on Friday.

Ashkan Amirsoleymani, 35, was identified as the suspect involved in the latest attack, in which an emergency department physician and two staff nurses were stabbed at Encino Hospital Medical Center, according to the . He was booked on three counts of attempted murder, and his bail was set at $3 million.

Though a motive for the stabbings was not immediately clear, the suspect allegedly walked into the hospital's emergency department on Friday afternoon and asked for treatment for anxiety, . He proceeded to stab a doctor and two nurses, and then barricaded himself in a room for hours while LAPD and SWAT teams negotiated with him and ultimately removed him from the facility on a stretcher with what appeared to be self-inflicted injuries on his arms.

The doctor and two nurses stabbed during the attack were stabilized and immediately transferred to the nearest trauma center, Dignity Health's Northridge Hospital Medical Center, said Elizabeth Nikels, a spokesperson for Prime Healthcare, which runs Encino Hospital, in an emailed statement to 番茄社区.

Over the weekend, that two of the victims had been treated and released, and that the third victim remained hospitalized in fair but stable condition, according to Northridge Hospital.

"Encino Hospital leadership and other staff members responded swiftly, exhibiting incredible heroism in ensuring the assailant was locked in a room, unable to injure others," Nikels said. "No one else in the hospital was injured. All patients in the ED and inpatient units received care without disruption, which is an incredible tribute to the dedication and bravery of the Encino Hospital team. The primary focus was ensuring that patients were safe and out of harm's way throughout the entire incident and that patient care was uninterrupted."

The injured physician is "beloved by the community and has dedicated her life to caring for others, serving for more than a decade in the Encino Hospital emergency department," and both injured nurses "have been providing care to the community for many, many years, skilled and compassionate in every way," she added.

In response to the Encino stabbing and the Tulsa shooting just days earlier, Robert Wailes, MD, president of the California Medical Association, said in a statement that the latest acts of violence that have targeted physicians "underscore the escalating threat of violence that healthcare workers have faced in recent years."

"We are heartbroken and resolved to stand in solidarity with our colleagues who have dedicated their lives to saving the lives of others," he continued. "We send not just our deepest condolences, but our outrage that such senseless acts of violence continue to plague our nation."

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said in a press conference on Friday that there is no evidence that the suspect in the stabbing knew the three victims, AP reported. The suspect has a lengthy criminal record, Hamilton noted, including two arrests last year for battery of a police officer and resisting arrest.

Healthcare providers previously noted a number of risk factors that stand out in these situations, pointing out that there are specific measures that can be taken to prevent such events.

Following last week's mass shooting in Tulsa, W. Michael Hooten, MD, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told 番茄社区 that when it comes to patient-on-provider violence, there are key areas that tend to be more problematic, including situations in which a patient is dissatisfied with their care and when there are changes made to care in the provision of opioids, as well as situations involving workers' compensation litigation.

It's not just physicians who can raise a red flag for signs of distress, frustration, and erratic behavior among patients, Hooten said, but also nurses and the entire medical staff, including those checking patients in for appointments.

After Tulsa, which involved the same-day purchase of an AR-15-style rifle, the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians were among a bevy of medical groups that called for action to address the nation's epidemic of gun violence.

Ultimately, healthcare professionals have said their voices are critical to bringing change, and that recent acts of violence against their field are not isolated.

In Encino, Nikels said that counseling services have been arranged for staff or physicians in need.

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