Firearms In The Practice: Have You Addressed This In Your Office Policies?

I do not like guns. I never have and never will. I do respect and honor the Constitution including the Second Amendment, even in its bastardized current interpretation. For disclosure purposes, I am a proud member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Everytown for Gun Safety. I am not writing this blog to argue about guns. Therefore, I have asked the editors of Podiatry Today not to allow any comments pro-gun or con-gun, but only allow comments about the point I am about to make. So relax, continue reading and consider the question I will be posing.

There is a significant push by the National Rifle Association (NRA) for open carry in public places like college campuses, grocery stores, malls, parks, public office buildings, etc. The question as it applies to medicine is will you allow open carry in your office and do you have an office policy on this one way or the other?

Privately owned business can decide their policy on this subject. For example, Starbucks initially allowed open carry in its stores but due to public backlash, changed its policy and does not allow open carry in their stores. Conversely, Kroger as of now still allows open carry in its supermarkets. Certainly, local ordinances vary from state to state and this may be a non-issue for your location. 

I currently do not have an office policy regarding this matter. I have a practice with multiple offices, most of which are in hospitals. Often times, the hospital will have a policy about guns that may serve as your office policy if you are in agreement with it. If you disagree with it, you will need to produce your own policy. I cannot imagine a hospital not allowing smoking but allowing open gun carry on its campus. 

In my opinion, it should not even be a question but the increasing pressure to push the boundaries of the Second Amendment makes it a question that you should answer before you find yourself in at least a very awkward situation and, at worst, a very dangerous one. I do not feel comfortable with guns in my office. Patients who carry firearms will not be allowed to carry them into any of my offices. They are welcome to leave them in their automobiles or homes.

I am betting that most practices out there do not have a policy on this either way in their office policies and procedures. You do have an office manual with policies and procedures, right? Another aspect of this applies to employees. Are you going to allow a physician or medical assistant to bring a firearm into the office? I believe the same policy you have for your patients would apply to the employees but ultimately that becomes your decision for your office. 

I hope you can look past my beliefs and your own beliefs about guns to honestly answer this question and then devise policies and procedures for your office. Do it sooner rather than later.