ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A 15-year-old is in custody after an employee at Mercy Hospital South was assaulted and injured Sunday evening.
The St. Louis County Police Department said it responded shortly after 8 p.m. to a report of an assault at the hospital, located on Kennerly Road in south St. Louis County. In a Tuesday update, the department said a 15-year-old had been taken into custody regarding the incident and was referred to St. Louis Family Court.
A spokesperson for the hospital said in a statement that the employee was assaulted by a patient in the hospital's emergency room.
"Please join us in praying for this co-worker and wishing them a speedy recovery from the physical and mental toll suffered while serving our patients," the statement said.
Neither police nor the hospital gave further details on the employee's injuries or the circumstances of the assault.
"We are assessing the situation to identify any ways we can improve our current preventative measures to keep such assaults from happening again," the hospital said. "Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our co-workers, patients and visitors, and we are deeply concerned by this incident.
"We ask our entire community to treat our co-workers with the respect and courtesy that health care workers deserve as they work through the stress and challenges that too often face them while dedicating their lives to caring for others. We are committed to providing care to individuals facing mental health needs."
Police did not say whether a criminal investigation is underway; however, the hospital said it was "fully supportive and will provide all the assistance we can in seeking charges against anyone who attacks one of our co-workers."
In August of last year, two Mercy South employees were injured in an assault by a patient, just a month after two workers were stabbed by a patient at SSM Health DePaul. The incidents spotlighted abuse on the job that many health care workers say is becoming increasingly common.