CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – If you walk into Unity Point Health St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, you might notice a different kind of security officer.
Kyah the German Shepherd is just over a year old and is part of the hospital’s first K9 program.
Security manager Andrew Novotny said the hospital added her to its ranks in hopes of driving down threats.
“We’ve seen an increase in workplace violence events and events that require security officer intervention,” Novotny said. “It’s kind of a trend in healthcare over the last few years.”
He said K9s like Kyah are becoming more common as hospitals work to combat rising violence within healthcare centers.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports health care workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in all other industries.
Novotny said they’ve seen a similar rise.
He said the number of workplace violence incidents where a security officer had to step in increased by more than 30% between 2023 and 2024.
Kyah’s handler, Officer Jim Flint, helped start the K9 program. Kyah is trained to sniff out narcotics, deter violence and respond if necessary.
“She’s not here for people to to pet. She’s here to work and keep the environment safe,” Novotny said. “I think the biggest thing is seeing our officer walk around with Kyah. It’s just kind of that visual presence that we’re taking security seriously.”
Novotny said the hospital also increased surveillance and its number of officers on site to help curb violence.
He said it’s too early to tell the impact Kyah’s having yet since she arrived last month. He said the hospital is looking to add more K9s in the future.
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