1 year after Encino hospital stabbing, nurses still feel unsafe

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's been nearly a year since a patient stabbed a doctor and two nurses at the Encino Hospital Medical Center and nurses continue to call for better safety measures.

A group of nurses rallied outside the medical center Friday afternoon to bring awareness to last year's stabbing.

"We have offered solutions, now it is time for the hospital to listen," said SEIU Local 121RN Executive Director Rosanna Mendez. "At this point, it is a lack of will, not a lack of ability. They must listen and they must listen now to protect their employees and their community."

The nurses have asked for increased security, accusing the hospital of going the opposite direction.

"We had a security at one of the entrances but they took that away," said Encino hospital nurse Homer Marmol. "We still have possible entrances that can be infiltrated by someone with a weapon."

The frightening incident happened on the afternoon of June 3, 2022.

Police said the suspect walked directly into the hospital asking for medical treatment. Soon after, the suspect stabbed the doctor and two nurses in an area of the emergency room. The weapon used was a 3-to-4-inch knife recovered by police, officials said.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Encino Hospital Medical Center told ABC7 it launched a safety conference with law enforcement immediately after the stabbing and has since "developed and implemented safety-centric programs."

The hospital said it also has "a crisis intervention program to facilitate support for staff's mental wellness."

However, the nurses at Friday's rally said they don't feel the support - and they're not alone. Studies have widely reported more than 60% of nurses feel burnout, industry-wide, largely due to the pandemic.

"I suffered a traumatic event ... that is the pandemic," said SEIU Local 121RN Vice President Monique Nicole Hernandez. "These nurses, when we suffer a traumatic event, we still return to traumatic place. So unless something changes, unless you protect your nurses, nothing's going to change for them."

The stabbing has since changed their sense of urgency.

Meanwhile, the suspect was arrested immediately after the stabbing following a barricade situation and was taken to another hospital for treatment.

He was ultimately charged with three counts of attempted murder.

Currently, SEIU Local 121RN and the Encino Hospital Medical Center are in contraction negotiations. The nurses at the rally have been operating without one since October.