Jackson Jambalaya

What is the reasoning behind such an order???

Sanctuary Hospital?

This all stems from that viral video. Let one crackhead or criminal that should have LEO supervision assault a nurse or someone else or escape and that will change their tune. This is a huge liability for the hospital when they "HAVE" to treat people that are, or will be, under arrest for their actions. Those campus cops are going to love to show their authority to JPD, MHP or the like and that's when something bad is going to happen. Someone is going to get loose or hurt someone.

Awesome job, Lou Ann!!!! Let’s circumvent and disrespect law enforcement....until something bad happens and we need to call them to save our butts.

UMMC has its own police force. Trying to paint this as some sort of anti-law enforcement is low, even for you pompous rapscallions. Protecting the UMMC workforce/patient/visitor population by requiring outside enforcement to comply with a relatively benign procedure - through UMMC campus police - makes sense. Being angry about it? Does not. Isn't there an article about unwed mothers with parking tickets or poor black kids in JPS on here for y'all to respond to with your usual bigotry and vitriol?

What the hell is wrong with showing disrespect for police, previous commentor? Respect must be earned.

I'm sure this will be a selective policy based on the "mission of the agency." Let one of those campus cops obstruct the activities of a state trooper or federal agent and see what happens.

Back in the day I arrested a fugitive in the nursery waiting room of a hospital - he picked the wrong day to come back to town and visit his baby momma. Congratulations Ray Ray, now put your hands behind your back!

Nobody is trying to paint this policy as anti-law enforcement. Think about it. UMC has a limited number of officers on duty at any given time. They have their hands full controlling unruly patients and patients family members as well as trying to stop car break-ins and muggings on the campus. Now those duties will go lacking because the UMC police will be policing other LEO that are on campus. That makes no sense what so ever.

TRUST---that is a word that applies to little these days. A person can't trust the church, the banker, the attorney, the doctor, the hospital, the police, the college you attended, the corporation you work for or most anything you can name.
The world is really messed up and I don't see anyway to repair the situation. UMMC is right !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good policy. We cops get way too much leeway, especially considering our standards.

Unconfirmed rumor that Univ. doc's were seen kneeling during the national anthem at the last Ole Miss game.

The communication method here cannot be disclosing the whole story. As I understand it, this restriction relates to non-public/restricted spaces only. Any duly sworn officer will still be able to go anywhere on campus that the general public can go. I am somewhat baffled as to the origin of this new protocol, but since UMMC has their own campus police force, this should not be a big deal. The UMMC officers rarely respond to unruly patients, but their families are a whole other level of crazy...

@ 1:23: The poster at 12:38 clearly accused Dr. Woodward of circumventing and disrespecting law enforcement. And stop trying to make UMMC out to be some sort of lawless place where mayhem and discord are rampant. The police force at UMMC is excellent. If you're scared to be in Jackson, just say so. But stop projecting. And whatsoever is all one word. You're welcome.

The UMMC LEOs have to respect other departments in their jurisdiction. What's wrong with them respecting them theirs.

@1:21PM

"Respect must be earned"

How about putting their lives on the line every day...

I agree with the new policy, though.

Aside from the question of how UMMC going to prevent an agency with jurisdiction from doing their job, did a fifth grader prepare the statement?

Right. Its a portmanteu word but a word nonetheless. Get it?

Classic example of Mission Creep, which UMMC is famous for.

As a higher ed campus, UMMC is subject to Clery Act reporting of all crime that occurs on its campus. If you check the stats, you'll see that UMMC is the safest spot to stand in the entire capitol city. UMMC's police offiers are sworn law enforcement officers, just like every other city, and the numbers don't lie. This is a pretty standard policy at many, many hospitals across the country and is not anti-law enforcement.

@2:04p: 1:21p here. Good counterpoint. Easy to forget that. A big part of me gets weary of police bully mindset, though, and obviously everything else that gets discussed to death on the news and in social media. I would say that not all cops put their lives on the line anyway, and for the ones that do, that doesn’t constitute an amount of respect that sufficiently makes up for the common sins of cops that we often see.

In the perfect world cops would be selected and compensated like federal agencies, ie, like professionals, but we’re stuck with limited means.

My question is Why? No one else gets escorted to where they are going. Or, at least, I've never been escorted nor have I ever seen anyone escorted in UMMC. Interesting.

20 hand-wringing comments above, and yet no one has identified the reason this policy was implemented. There must be a precipitating reason........It doesn't seem like a policy that would have arisen arbitrarily

Dear 3:12,

The numbers don't lie theory is usually thrown out by someone attempting to obscure what is really going on. If the only thing being enforced is parking violations against employees then, yes crime is really low. If you want an honest opinion of safety then ask employees how they feel. When they have to huddle in groups of three or more just to make it to their car then that should give you a clue (that's cop speak for those of you that are UMMC officers). Still not convinced? Ask a nurse if they are safer from an assault with or without an UMMC escort to their car. Don't be surprised at the answer.

I have two female family members that are on staff at UMMC, between them they have had to file 3 complaints for sexual harassment / inappropriate behavior against JPD officers in the last two years. They have had zero issues with UMMC officers and have expressed no insecurities about their safety while being on campus. When they do need help the UMMC officers are very helpful. Not all law enforcement agencies are created / trained / managed equally.

I have two female family members that are on staff at UMMC, between them they have had to file 3 complaints for sexual harassment / inappropriate behavior against JPD officers in the last two years. They have had zero issues with UMMC officers and have expressed no insecurities about their safety while being on campus. When they do need help the UMMC officers are very helpful. Not all law enforcement agencies are created / trained / managed equally.

Officers of the law may come and go as they please at St. Dominics UNLESS THEY ARE USING TOBACCO. DO NOT LET US CATCH YOU USING THE DEVILS WEED! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

@4:18. You are reaching. The police force at UMMC is well trained, the officers are marvelous to work with, and their duties go far beyond writing parking citations for employees. Fake news! That's what you're spreading buddy. Stop.

@6:33,

That's your opinion. I just showed this to a group of nurses from two different units and they admit they are scared every single night to walk to the parking lot. And every one of the can tell a story about smething that happened to a co-worker that was swept under the rug and not put out to staff as a precaution. And not a single one of them can name anything they have ever seen a UMMC officer do other than threaten employees about parking or ask someone to leave a floor. Doesn't sound like a whole lot of training is required, but I guess it depends on who you ask.

I just read through all the posts above, thinking that I could gain some insight as to WHY this policy has been implemented. But, alas I just wasted 3 minutes and a shit ton of brain cells and I’m no closer to understanding the “why?” this has occurred.
Anyone???

Probably has something to do with the officer arresting the nurse for refusing to take blood. The video was all over the web.

I am going to speculate here for a moment.

No authorized Law enforcement official (JPB MHP HSD) would ever be denied access to a criminal. UMC is requiring them to check in and have a UMCPD officer with the PoPo officer as they go to question or arrest a patient.

This is likely due to HIPA requirements and legal liability hassles UMC must go through if they allow just anyone back into the treatment areas.

I bet a SWAT team rushing the front desk will be immediately allowed access, and then some poor UMCPoPo will follow them back to watch them disarm the terrorist with the nuclear bomb, or sharpened popsicle stick held to the ER physician's neck.

10:47 - You said you were going to speculate. You did that. And you are wrong. HIPAA has nothing to do with the police who make their way into a medical facility and brush past employees into areas where confidentiality is normally expected and maintained. HIPAA would come into play if a hospital employee handed an officer confidential patient information, though, or if the employee allowed or winked at the officer going into an area where such information can be obtained or seen.

And a member of outside LEO being accompanied by an officer employed by the hospital would have nothing whatever to do with HIPAA, one way or the other. Besides, LEO doesn't show up at a hospital in order to obtain confidential patient information. They show up to protect people and to arrest somebody's ass.

HIPPA does not apply here. But here's the reason for this policy - it's an intimidation tactic by the university. All colleges/universities and their related healthcare sites have their own police/security apparatus in order to appear like there is security, but most of all it's so they can internally control the narrative of whatever may go down that might damage the image of the school/organization. Staff endure simple assaults all the time, but are not allowed to file a "real" police report, it's handled internally. It's to control narratives that might lead to exposure to litigation or poor public relations. The unified bullying that comes from the administration will ensure all staff keep their mouth shut about this policy - or else. How would you like to work in an environment that is insulated from legitimate law-enforcement? Instead, the internal "police" force will adhere to their master's bidding regardless of the law. Most individuals don't know the following fact: Mississippi citizens (along with 28 other states) who are working for any government funded entities are NOT protected by federal OSHA laws. So they have to sit back and take it. Mississippi absolutely has the corrupt government it deserves - until the people wake up and get involved. The cancer is in Oxford.

Oh good Lord, are you people completely ignorant about what happens in the actual ER areas?
Do you not realize UMMC's ER is a trauma center?
Do you not know that people in ER medical areas can be contagious or that the officers could unwittingly bring in contaminates or that the doctors don't need to be interrupted by people wondering around when they are trying to treat a patient in an emergency situation?
What is it about the word " emergency" some of you don't understand?
Do you want some police officer picking up a virus and spreading it through the community? Or how about demanding to see someone injured in a wreck while the doctor's trying to relieve the swelling in his brain?
The UMMC police officers are trained in knowing how to work in that setting without interfering with medical treatment and local officers are not.
7:23 pm You just make stuff up. Do tell us what shift hours theses nurses work at UMMC. Why were these nurses alone?

I visit the UMMC campus twice a day, most weekdays, and have done so for about 10 years. I see UMMC police on-duty every single time.

My view is they are a bunch of Barney Fife school crossing guards who mostly illicitly impede legal traffic and refuse to enforce traffic laws unless you're disobeying the officer who's directing you to do something contrary to posted signs/signals. Having spoken to several of them over the years, it seems they don't have a clue about anything. Some of them are pretty nice, but some are real jerks. Mostly it seems that their "orders" are goofy.

Geez...the misinformation in these comments just gets worse. HIPPA is about medical privacy including whether or not a patient is being treated,how and for what. That isn't all paper. It also has to do with what can be witnessed.

I am not allowed to look at other babies in NICU other than the one I have permission to visit because of HIPPA. I also have to follow sterile procedures before entering NICU.

I realize some may be blessed never to have had to spend much time in a hospital, but really, are you arrogant or such political lemmings as not to imagine that you may not know how a hospital functions and why if you haven't?

But, it's probably that some of you think television is reality.

Correct me if I am wrong but, the last time I looked UMMC was still in Mississippi, Hinds County and Jackson. An officer of any of these political subdivisions has the authority to enforce the law in their respective jurisdictions and some doctor is going to write and implement a policy which orders the UMMC police to interfere with them in the performance of their duties. If there has been a problem with an officer from another agency it should be addressed by the UMMC police chief with the head of that agency and not by an M.D. exercising authority that I doubt he has. Stick with your practice of medicine Doc and leave the law enforcement to those who are trained to do it.

Take care of the matter in house then hand the offender off to the LEO with jurisdiction. I'm willing to hedge my bet on employees with warrants.

Some of you have danced around the issue but haven't said it outright. So I'll say it. There is some really dumb people posting here.

Whatever reason UMMC has for requiring police to be escorted it makes sense for many reasons. LEO does not have the right to enter patient care areas unless they are in the process of stopping a crime or have been asked to assist. In either case UMMC will act accordingly and work with LEO. Aside from that they should be treated just like civilians. Even staff shouldn't be wandering around areas of the hospital that don't have anything to do with their duties. Patients have a right to privacy in a hospital setting.

8:09; You could not be more wrong about HIPAA in this instance. You're also a damned fool if you expect me to believe you are cautioned to not lay eyes on a baby other than the one you are authorized to visit. Yet while you can't even properly spell the acronym HIPAA, you lash out by calling others arrogant and lemmings.