LEWES, Del. - Beebe Healthcare is rolling out wearable duress buttons for frontline employees as part of a new effort aimed at improving workplace safety across the health system.
Beebe is partnering with healthcare safety technology company Canopy to deploy its Canopy Protect platform, beginning with approximately 1,500 frontline staff members. Officials say the wearable buttons allow employees to alert nearby colleagues and security when they need assistance.
The rollout began July 28 in the Emergency Department at Beebe's Lewes Campus. Beebe President and CEO Dr. David Tam and Chief Nursing Officer Kathy Tregear were among the leaders who distributed the first buttons to nurses, clinicians, and other staff members.
Beebe says the program will expand to the rest of its Lewes Campus, locations at the Abessinio Health Campus, including the Specialty Surgical Hospital and Tunnell Cancer Center, and the South Coastal Health Campus in Millville by the end of the fall.
"Every person who comes to work at Beebe deserves to feel safe and supported while caring for our community," Tam said. "This investment – thanks to the support of the Beebe Medical Foundation and Canopy – reflects our commitment to listening to our team members and giving them additional tools to help prevent situations from escalating."
According to Beebe, the health system is prioritizing distribution of the buttons based on its incident data. Patient-facing employees in departments and locations that have historically experienced higher rates of workplace violence will receive the devices first.
The rollout comes as Delaware lawmakers have taken steps in recent years to address violence against healthcare workers. In 2022, Delaware enacted legislation making assault on certain healthcare workers a second-degree felony.
Beebe says the General Assembly also passed additional protections this year allowing healthcare workers to temporarily detain people who pose a safety risk to workers, patients or visitors while waiting for law enforcement.
Canopy CEO and founder Shan Sinha said the technology is intended to give frontline employees a way to quickly call for assistance when a potentially dangerous situation develops.
"Healthcare workers and frontline staff deserve to feel safe every time they step onto the floor, and we're proud to partner with organizations like Beebe Healthcare that are making workplace safety a priority," Sinha said.
Beebe says it plans to monitor the program as the rollout continues, including tracking alert response times and workers' compensation claims connected to incidents of physical workplace violence.
