Duty of Care

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, Ephrata police officers were called to WellSpan Hospital in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, for a reported assault on a health care worker, WGAL reported. Police said they reviewed hospital security footage and interviewed the victim, and that the footage showed the worker being hit in the face.

Police arrested a 23-year-old woman from Harrisburg in connection with the assault. She was arraigned on October 19 and committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $50,000 cash bail, police said.

For any hospital unit, the defenses to check are early flagging of agitated patients and visitors, staffing and security coverage in high-risk areas, panic alarms and rapid response teams, room layouts that keep staff exit paths open, and a reporting process that leads to fixes. These are system controls, not just individual vigilance.

• WGAL