SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Healthcare workers in San Francisco rallied Thursday night to demand safety improvements at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital following the tragic stabbing death of social worker Alberto Rangel.
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The rally, held one week after Rangel’s death, saw dozens of healthcare workers gather with candles around a memorial for their fallen colleague. Union workers emphasized the need for a safer work environment, which they believe could have prevented the tragedy.
“Workers have been raising these same issues for years and we are done waiting,” said Juliette Suarez, a social worker at the hospital.
Lauren Silver, a UPTE union worker, stated, “This must include a clear security plan for all UCSF campus workplaces. Concrete upgrades to physical safety, a written protocol for identifying and managing high-risk patients and visitors.”
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton expressed support for the workers, saying, “It should not take a tragedy like this for us all to come together to work on solutions so this does not happen again.”
Photo: KRON4 News.
Hospital officials have responded by examining their safety protocols and implementing immediate improvements, including weapon detectors at the entrances of buildings 80 and 90, where the stabbing occurred.
Union leaders are demanding a written safety plan that includes comprehensive security measures and protocols for managing high-risk patients and visitors.
Local and state leaders, including Senator Scott Wiener and Supervisor Shamann Walton, attended the rally to show their support for the workers’ demands and pledged to work towards change.
The Department of Public Health is conducting a thorough review and has hired an outside firm to investigate security measures at the hospital.
The union’s discussions with UCSF about the hospital’s safety plan continue, as healthcare workers and local leaders push for meaningful changes to prevent future tragedies.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.
Sara Stinson
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