Photo Provided Wheeling Hospital officials are working to update their safety and security procedures after an ER patient committed suicide by firearm recently.

WHEELING — Wheeling Hospital plans to upgrade its security measures after an incident last week in which a patient used a concealed weapon to shoot and kill himself in an examination room.

Wheeling Hospital CEO Douglass Harrison released a statement Monday on upgrading security at the facility.

“The safety of our patients and employees is of the utmost concern to Wheeling Hospital. Given the recent announcement of OVMC and EORH closing, Wheeling Hospital has undertaken a comprehensive review of all security measures on campus,” he said.

“In light of this review, we will be making some upgrades to our security practices to further ensure the safety of all patients, employees and visitors,” Harrison said.

Last Wednesday, an 82-year-old man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an examination room inside Wheeling Hospital’s emergency-trauma center. The man’s name was not released.

Philip Stahl, public information officer for the Wheeling Police Department, previously said the man had been transported to the hospital by ambulance from outside the city of Wheeling. Stahl said last week it “appears he had concealed a small handgun on him and then took his own life.” No one else was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, at least one area emergency medical service has a policy authorizing its paramedics and emergency medical technicians to search patients for weapons.

The issue of patients possibly carrying concealed weapons while being transported is “very difficult to put into perspective” for emergency personnel, according to Steve Jenkins, ground team leader for Marshall County EMS.

“We’re in talks with HealthNet, who manages Marshall County EMS, and their safety team,” Jenkins said in light of the recent incident at Wheeling Hospital. “We’ve tossed it to them.”

HealthNet Aeromedical Services, which is based in Charleston, handles management services for Marshall County EMS. It also operates a helicopter base at the Marshall County Airport.

“We do have a policy regarding patient transport preparation,” said Carrie Jones, HealthNet’s corporate communications manager.

That policy directs EMS personnel to search patients for weapons or other potentially dangerous items.

“They should pat for weapons,” she said.

Jones added HealthNet’s company training includes instruction on searching patients for weapons or other dangerous items. In order to meet regulatory requirements, HealthNet must have a policy regarding weapons, she said.

“Marshall County EMS does have its own operations manual. They have that regulation as well,” Jones said regarding weapons searches.

Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms could not be reached for comment Monday regarding the fire department’s policy on weapons searches.

Meanwhile, Wheeling Hospital has already seen an increase in patient volume in its emergency-trauma center as a result of the impending closure of Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling and East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry. Alecto Healthcare Services, owner of OVMC and EORH, plans to close the two facilities by Oct. 7. Currently, both hospitals have emergency rooms.