The following is a press release from the City of Bellefontaine after comments made by the Ohio Nurses Association and Mary Rutan Hospital Nurses at the Bellefontaine City Council Meeting on Tuesday night:
The City of Bellefontaine takes seriously the concerns raised by nurses regarding workplace safety and law-enforcement response at Mary Rutan Hospital. Protecting healthcare workers, patients, first responders, and the public remains a priority for the City.
There is no policy or directive prohibiting Bellefontaine Police officers from arresting patients at Mary Rutan, nor have officers been instructed that someone must cause an injury or “cross a line” before an arrest can be made. Arrest decisions are evaluated individually based on whether the facts establish a criminal offense and what response is most appropriate under the circumstances. A recent BPD response at the hospital did result in an arrest.
The City also wants to address the suggestion that nurses who call 9-1-1 cannot be confident someone will respond. When a nurse—or anyone else—requests emergency assistance, Bellefontaine Police, Fire, or both will respond. What action is legally appropriate after responders arrive is a separate determination.
The City recognizes that nurses routinely encounter difficult, disruptive, and sometimes frightening patient behavior. Such conduct may be unacceptable without necessarily satisfying the legal elements of a crime. Medical, mental-health, and behavioral-health conditions may also affect the appropriate response. Immediate safety comes first, but arrest is not always the safest or most effective outcome for a person who needs medical or psychiatric treatment.
Regarding the reported April incident, BPD policy requires individuals to be searched for weapons before transportation in a BPD vehicle. The information currently available does not clearly establish whether BPD transported the individual or conducted the particular search referenced before City Council. The item reportedly located later was a lighter, which BPD does not ordinarily classify as a weapon. Additional facts are needed before responsibility can fairly be assigned or any conclusion reached regarding whether a policy was not followed.
The Ohio Nurses Association began contacting the City Prosecutor’s Office about these concerns in February. Additional details were requested but were not provided. Although the specific allegations could not be investigated without that information, the outreach prompted meetings involving the City Prosecutor, local law enforcement, Mary Rutan leadership, and hospital security.
Service-Safety Director Wes Dodds acknowledged that the City should have communicated those efforts back to ONA.
“We should have closed the loop and explained that discussions with law enforcement and hospital leadership were taking place,” Dodds said. “I take responsibility for that communication falling short. Hearing these concerns directly from frontline nurses also provides important context that we did not previously have.”
Following the Council meeting, Dodds directed the City’s police, fire, and legal departments to review their current policies, procedures, and practices involving calls at Mary Rutan. Once that review is complete, the City intends to request another meeting with the hospital’s CEO, COO, and other appropriate representatives.
Mary Rutan is responsible for its internal security, staffing, training, and workplace procedures. While the City cannot direct the hospital’s internal operations, it is prepared to work collaboratively with hospital leadership and expects both organizations to evaluate their respective practices.
The decision to conduct these reviews is not an acknowledgment that the City, BPD, the City Prosecutor’s Office, Mary Rutan, or any individual acted improperly. It is a responsible effort to identify communication gaps, clarify responsibilities, and strengthen coordination.
“Mental-health situations are complicated, and no single organization can address them alone,” Dodds said. “Our focus should be on working together toward safe and positive outcomes for healthcare workers, patients, first responders, and the entire community.”
