Health Care and Law Enforcement Collaboration
Hospitals, health care providers, state government and law
enforcement have joined together to create a common framework of how to care
for patients involved with law enforcement, with the goal of enhancing
communication and collaboration between health care and law enforcement.
Comprised of representatives from the Minnesota Department
of Health (MDH), the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association and the Minnesota Hospital
Association (MHA), the Health Care and Law Enforcement Coalition convened in August
2016 to build relationships and improve collaboration between health care and
law enforcement organizations. The coalition is an effort of a broad-based
stakeholder group, including hospital security, police departments, county
sheriff offices and hospital EMS.
Health Care and Law Enforcement
Collaboration Resources
The coalition created a road map of best practices and compiled
resources that provide leadership and direct care staff with tools to build
relationships and improve collaboration between health care and law
enforcement. The road map includes sample policies, procedures, court orders
and other resources. Best practice examples include scheduling routine
operational meetings between law enforcement and health care teams, prior
notification from law enforcement and communication to hospitals of the results
of public safety assessments. The road map can be used to supplement workplace violence prevention work and its accompanying gap analysis.