Carle Foundation Hospital

DR. JOHN WARNER HOSPITAL CLINTON, ILLINOIS 61727

POLICY AND PROCEDURE

TITLE PAGE 1 OF 3 CODE ADAM

DEPARTMENT DATE REVISED SAFETY

PREPARED BY ORIGINAL DATE PAT DANISON, SAFETY OFFICER 07/25/07

POLICY#: SFTY-2303

REVISES AND SUPERCEDES: NA - New

POLICY:

It is the policy of Dr. John Warner Hospital to help protect children in our facilities by instituting the “Code Adam” program.

STAFF: All Staff

EQUIPMENT, FORMS & LOCATIONS: N/A

PROCEDURE:

These are steps to follow when an alert is announced:

1. If a visitor approaches you and says that a child is missing, quickly get a detailed description, including:

 Name, age, hair, color, eye color  Approximate weight and height  What the child is wearing, like the color and type of clothing and, more importantly, shoe color and style (although the clothes may be changed, an abductor does not usually remove or change shoes). - 2 -

POLICY AND PROCEDURE – CODE ADAM PROGRAM

Go to the nearest in-house phone and page “Code Adam” on the PA system. Announce the description of the missing child.

 Employees who have been assigned to the front door should assume their position and immediately begin monitoring. Ask visitors with children to wait until management arrives, then ask the child his/her name and if the adult is his/her parent. Escort the parent or guardian of the missing child to the front of the facility to assist in identifying the lost child.  After hearing “Code Adam”, all facility employees should begin looking for the child. Your facility management team will assign responsibility for important designated areas like the rest rooms and back room.

2. If the child is not found within 10 minutes, call the police.

 Don’t hesitate….the police would rather get a second call saying that the child has been found, than to discover too late that the child has been abducted.

3. If the child is found and appears to have been lost and unharmed, reunite the child with the parent or guardian.

4. If the child is found accompanied by someone other than the parent or guardian:

 Use reasonable efforts to delay the departure of the adult accompanying the child, but do not put yourself, the staff or people around you at risk.  Call the police and identify the person accompanying the child.

5. The switchboard staff should conclude the incident by saying “Code Adam Canceled” on the PA

 Facility management must report the incident to risk management even if the child temporarily wandered away.

DOCUMENTATION: N/A - 3 -

POLICY AND PROCEDURE – CODE ADAM PROGRAM

COPIES SENT TO: Administration - Original All Departments

______SAFETY OFFICER DATE CEO/ADMINISTRATOR DATE

DATE REVIEWED ______