Ballad hospitals add weapons detection systems

JOHNSON CITY — Ballad Health hospitals will implement a new weapons detection system Wednesday amid a reported rise in workplace violence incidents.The change was prompted by 12 random bag checks at three hospitals last year that found 318 total weapons, including 65 guns and 218 knives, according to Ballad. The healthcare system also noted a 19% increase in workplace violence from 2024 to 2025 with more than 1,500 total incidents.Lisa Carter, president of Ballad Health's southern region, said the violence includes punching, hitting, spitting and verbal and sexual aggression. While many of the people who carry weapons into the healthcare facilities do have permits and "no intent to do harm," she added, the new systems are meant to additionally protect healthcare workers. Ballad already prohibits weapons on its premises."We're seeing this all throughout industry," Carter said. "And as we looked at colleagues and talked to colleagues around the country, this is becoming more and more common."The issue isn't unique to the region. In a 2025-2026 workplace violence survey, the professional association National Nurses United noted that a third of the more than 1,200 registered nurses surveyed reported an increase in workplace violence on their unit in the previous year."I think given the emotional characteristics that follow healthcare, having a very sick family member or being sick yourself… you lose a lot of control when you come into a hospital," Carter said. "People have a tendency to act out in those situations."The executive added that Ballad is also offering increased training to help all team members identify and handle an escalating situation. It also gives legal support to healthcare workers who choose to press charges against an offender, Carter added."We don't want people to have to choose between taking care of patients or protecting themselves," Carter said. "So we're trying to put measures in place to make that easier for them, but we're also trying to teach them of when they really need to look out for their own personal safety and step away."Come Wednesday, visitors to hospitals across the Ballad system will see additional signage about weapons screening. Carter said the process is similar to the experience at a stadium. Detection systems are set to identify weapons, not personal belongings or medical devices."Unfortunately, we've seen too much violence throughout the nation, throughout the world, and we certainly have seen violence increasing exponentially within hospitals," Carter said.