Hospitals across the state are looking into the new concealed--carry law and how the legislation will affect them.
Gov. Bob Taft signed the conceal-carry bill on Jan. 8 and the legislation goes into effect on April 8. The legislation has caused some concern among hospital officials because hospitals are not on the law's list of conceal-carry excluded institutions. Rep. Jim Aslanides, R-Coshocton, who introduced the bill, said he and other legislators did not want a large list of banned institutions and therefore gave all private entities the authority to ban weapons on their property.
There were a number of places that wanted to be included on the list
Aslanides said. There is nothing in the bill that pre-empts private property rights. (Hospitals) have complete discretion to make firearms illegal on their property.
Some hospitals, though, have expressed concern about the process of banning weapon carriers from their property.
I think this a lot bigger of an issue than many thought this would be said Tiffany Himmelreich, manager of communications for the Ohio Hospital Association.
Himmelreich said the Ohio Hospital Association has a message board on its Web site that allows hospitals to post suggestions and tips on how to ban weapons. The association is also providing counseling to concerned hospital officials on what course of action they can take under the law to keep guns off their premises.
We have been working with hospitals on a case-by-case basis concerning this bill advising them on what they can do Himmelreich said.
Some hospitals have not had any problems with the new law because they have existing policies in place that address the issue of firearms.
(Grant Medical Center in Columbus) always had a rule against having firearms and we'll have signs posted reiterating our policy
said Mark Hopkins, manager of communications for OhioHealth, the parent company of Grant Medical Center.
Because the legislation does not go into effect until April, O'Bleness Hospital, 55 Hospital Dr., has not immediately acted on the legislation nor formulated a policy to address the legislation, said Linda Weiss, spokesperson for O'Bleness Memorial Hospital.
Grant Medical Center will continue to rely on metal detectors as a deterrent to keep emergency departments safe of gun violence and enforce the hospital's ban on concealed guns, said Chuck Smith, director of security and protective services for OhioHealth.
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