Bryan Health using AI to detect weapons brought into ERs

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Hospitals across Nebraska are seeing a rise in violence inside their doors.

One-third of those surveyed said it’s getting worse, while the other two-thirds said it’s the same, according to a survey by the Nebraska Hospital Association.

Weapons of any kind aren’t allowed inside hospitals, but that doesn’t always stop people from bringing them in.

Because people don’t follow the posted signage on weapons, Bryan Health decided to implement state-of-the-art technology to screen people for weapons as they enter the emergency department.

It put the system, which is called Evolv, in the Bryan West emergency department in January.

“We measure and look at instances of workplace violence that are occurring, and the west emergency department’s was higher than other areas within the hospital,” said Jeff Bliemeister, director of safety and security at Bryan.

Bliemeister said Bryan West has seen success. So far, the system has kept around 1,000 weapons out of the emergency room.

Both Bryan hospitals now have this system in place in the emergency departments.

The system uses artificial intelligence to identify potential weapons on someone and then notifies a security officer via a tablet.

The equipment was purchased using Federal Emergency Management Agency nonprofit security grants obtained in 2022.

Each campus got $150,000.

There are ongoing conversations at Bryan Health about expanding this to all public entrances hospital-wide in the future.

Bryan Health also implemented a new visitation policy across the health system on Monday.

Visitors may come from 5 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. on weekends.

This does not include the emergency room, mental health, or the women and children’s wing.