U.S. military hospitals and clinics are vulnerable to theft, damage and terrorism, according to a Department of Defense Inspector General audit released Thursday.

Inspectors who prepared the audit visited eight military medical treatment facilities and found that while all had implemented local physical security measures, they also identified security weaknesses at each facility that could allow unauthorized access to certain areas.

Auditors found security controls allowed personnel and volunteers to access medical centers at all hours or to enter restricted areas without authorization, giving them access to equipment, pharmaceuticals and patient information.

The concern includes areas like pharmacies. In at least one instance, three unauthorized personnel used a badge to access the narcotics vault.

The audit also found that fuel storage tanks and hospital generators weren't secured properly, increasing the risk of "damage, sabotage or acts of terrorism."

The report opens by pointing out recent events that underscore the need for increased security protocols at health care facilities -- including the 2015 shooting of a doctor near the William Beaumont Army Medical Center on Fort Bliss, Texas.

The audit notes security concerns within the healthcare industry generally, including the fact that in 2018 there were 647 armed robberies of controlled substances from pharmacies, according to the the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported that the rate of serious workplace violence incidents on average was four times greater for health care workers than in private industry.

Concerns about security at health care facilities have grown amid the coronavirus pandemic, stories of theft of personal protective equipment from hospitals and the March arrest of a man authorities believe intended to bomb a Kansas hospital.

Among other changes, the report recommends the Defense Health Agency direct facilities to remove access to sensitive areas for unauthorized staff and run quarterly system reviews to make it is appropriately restricted, review security controls at community-based clinics under its control, assess generator and fuel storage security at each site and issue guidance that requires personnel to enter and exit through specific sets of doors.

Washington state returns 250-bed field hospital to FEMA
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 09, 2020 - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has announced the state is returning a 250-bed field hospital in Seattle to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The facility, which began setting up on March 30 and was ready to see patients Sunday, was intended to treat non-coronavirus patients as area hospitals anticipated a surge in patients.

It didn't end up seeing a single patient, according to KUOW of Seattle.

According to Inslee's office, the state has purchased more than 900 ventilators and added 1,000 hospital beds to support hospitals as the state experiences a surge in positive COVID-19 cases.

"Don't let this decision give you the impression that we are out of the woods. We have to keep our guard up and continue to stay home unless conducting essential activities to keep everyone healthy," Inslee said in a statement issued Wednesday.

"We requested this resource before our physical distancing strategies were fully implemented and we had considerable concerns that our hospitals would be overloaded with Covid-19 cases. But we haven't beat this virus yet, and until we do, it has the potential to spread rapidly if we don't continue the measures we've put in place," Inslee said.

Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan praised the decision.

"While Seattle fought hard for these resources, it's clear other communities are in desperate need of this high-quality medical facility and personnel. This virus knows no borders, and we must care for the sick and vulnerable, regardless of any city, county, or state line," Durkan said.

At the end of February, Washington state saw the first U.S. death due to coronavirus, and the state was the site of the first significant outbreak in the country as numerous residents and staff at a Seattle-area care facility were sickened by the virus.

But the Washington's numbers have flattened following the state's stay-at-home-order, and earlier this week officials sent 400 ventilators to New York, where the number of cases and death is still spiraling upward.

The Department of Defense awarded several contracts this week to build temporary alternative care facilities to supplement local hospitals' response to the pandemic, with officials expressing worry that by the time the facilities finish construction many areas will have passed their outbreaks' peak.

The DoD has also adapted some aspects of its strategy for responding to the virus.

The Navy hospital ships USNS Comfort and Mercy were sent to New York and Los Angeles respectively to accept referred non-coronavirus patients, but saw few patients initially.

The Comfort has since adjusted its policy and Navy officials have said the ship will reserve 500 of its 1,000 beds for COVID-19 patients.

Related Links
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In virus-hit America, World Health Organization in firing line
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