Mass Shooting At Tulsa Clinic Highlights Danger Healthcare Staff Face At Work

Oklahomans across the state are grieving the nation’s latest deadly mass shooting at a Tulsa clinic. Four lives were lost – Dr. Stephanie Husen, Dr. Preston Phillips, Amanda Glenn and William Love.

Medical professionals in hospitals across the OKC metro staff said they felt a whirlwind of emotions as they walked into work Thursday morning, keeping in mind that violence against medical workers is already an ongoing issue.

"Our staff is already upset. They're concerned. They're jittery. They're concerned about what are we going to do here," Oklahoma State Medical Association president Dr. David Holden said.

Tulsa County dispatchers sent every officer and responder they have to St. Francis Hospital. The shooter was a patient of Dr. Phillips. 

Michael Louis looked for and targeted the physician to stop pain he had dating back to a previous visit. Louis shot the other three victims, then himself.  

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, violence against medical workers isn't a new phenomenon. 

In 2020, every 10.3 healthcare workers out of 10,000 were hurt by a violent act at work. It's more than double for nurses at 21.8 per 10,000 workers.

"We focus on trying to ease suffering. When suffering comes in in the form of this violence, this just tends to make it worse and possibly make people feel like that you can't help in the situation and that there's nothing you can do and you're powerless," SSM Health St. Anthony Regional Chief Nursing Officer Elain Richardson said.

The physical structure of a hospital leaves lots of blind spots.

"Multiple rooms, multiple stairways, multiple access points. That's what especially concerning throughout the facility, and that's what especially concerning about any medical facility," Dr. Holden said. "Our life is going to change. Each facility, every hospital, every medical building is going to have to evaluate their particular situation, their design, and what's it going to take to get that security.”