Hospital Planning and Response to an Active Shooter Incident: Preparing for the n = 1

Changing patterns of violence in the United States and around the world are increasingly manifest as acts of mass violence and acts of terrorism. Preventing such attacks, reducing harms, and maintaining operations following such events requires the bolstering of key infrastructure facilities, such as hospitals, and developing response plans capable of detecting and withstanding such attacks. Attacks occurring in a hospital or clinic present unique challenges that differ from workplaces or schools. This article provides an overview of active shooter incidents occurring within health care facilities, and the fundamental knowledge on how to respond and manage these challenging situations.