ajtj99's Market Pulse

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OT WHY market may go down terrorism

I was going to post this last Saturday when it was in our local NJ newspaper but you would thought me to be a total kook a week ago.

After the second London bombing by determined suicide bombers with knapsacks, I think I can you just may think I am a plain old kook. <g>

My wife a manager at VA medical centrer informed me after I showed her this newspaper article that the VA medical center in NJ, NY and elsewhere was probed several times this spring in similar fashion.

However, I had no problem entering VA nursing home the next day on Sunday morning unaccosted to help wheelchair bound patients get to Sunday Mass in the cafeteria.


Incidents intensify hospital vigilance
People under various guises tried to gain access to Jersey facilities in recent months
Saturday, July 16, 2005
BY ANGELA STEWART
Star-Ledger Staff
New Jersey hospitals are on heightened alert, authorities acknowledged yesterday, as the result of several suspicious incidents involving people trying to enter hospitals under false pretenses.

Bulletins have been issued by the New Jersey Office of Counter-Terrorism, in addition to other law enforcement agencies, telling hospitals to be vigilant. However, authorities stressed there has been no specific threat of terrorism against New Jersey hospitals.

"It could mean nothing or it could be pre-operational surveillance," said Sidney Caspersen, director of the New Jersey Office of Counter-Terrorism.

One of the incidents occurred July 7 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, where two individuals were seen in a hospital parking lot carrying badges and talking about possibly passing themselves off as inspectors.

The incident, along with a description of their car, was reported to the state's Counter-Terrorism Tip Line at 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ.

Raritan Bay spokeswoman Donna Sellman said the two people did not present themselves inside the hospital, however.

"We had no one showing up saying they were inspectors," she said.

In another incident on July 1, an individual called the admissions office at Robert Wood Johnson at Rahway, saying he was doing a telephone survey for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's leading standard-setting body in healthcare. The admitting clerk told the caller she was aware the commission did not do phone surveys and the caller quickly hung up, according to Barbara Jones, hospital spokeswoman.

She said the incident was immediately reported to authorities.

That was not the case at Newton Memorial, a small community hospital in rural Sussex County.


The incident at Newton occurred March 27, Easter Sunday, around 4:45 p.m. when three men of "Middle Eastern appearance" identified themselves as doctors and requested a tour of the hospital and emergency department, which recently had expanded. The individuals also asked questions about the facility's bed capacity, services and hospital directory, speaking fluent English.

A security guard asked them for identification, which they could not produce, according to Sean O'Rourke, chief operating officer for Newton Memorial. The guard instructed the men to call back during business hours and they left.

Hospital administrators were not told about the incident until the following morning, O'Rourke admitted, saying this has led to a "policy change" requiring immediate notification of hospital administrators and police.


"This has triggered a heightened awareness," he said.

The day after the Newton incident, two unidentified males identifying themselves as doctors entered Morristown Memorial, asking questions about the number of patient beds in the Children's Center wing and inquiring about other floors, officials said. They were not asked for identification and did not display credentials.

The hospital would not comment on the incident, saying it is under investigation.

Robert Wood Johnson-New Brunswick also reported an incident in March in which a woman claiming to be a doctor from Spain showed up with an unidentified male, asking to tour the hospital. Spokeswoman Kristin Walsh said they were denied access.

No one has been arrested in any of the incidents and authorities do not know the identities or intentions of the individuals involved, although most had dealings with security guards or hospital staff.

Caspersen stressed that hospitals need to be alert and ready to assist law enforcement when encountering persons from any background acting strangely.

"They should try to get as much information as they can on their identity before they leave. Get us a tag number, name, driver's license number. Get us something to follow up on," he said.




One of the incidents occurred July 7 at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, where two individuals were seen in a hospital parking lot carrying badges and talking about possibly passing themselves off as inspectors.

The incident, along with a description of their car, was reported to the state's Counter-Terrorism Tip Line at 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ.

Raritan Bay spokeswoman Donna Sellman said the two people did not present themselves inside the hospital, however.

"We had no one showing up saying they were inspectors," she said.

In another incident on July 1, an individual called the admissions office at Robert Wood Johnson at Rahway, saying he was doing a telephone survey for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's leading standard-setting body in healthcare. The admitting clerk told the caller she was aware the commission did not do phone surveys and the caller quickly hung up, according to Barbara Jones, hospital spokeswoman.

She said the incident was immediately reported to authorities.

That was not the case at Newton Memorial, a small community hospital in rural Sussex County.

Acting Gov. Richard Codey said through a spokeswoman yesterday that he has directed state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs to make site visits to hospitals throughout New Jersey to brief them on how to handle suspicious activity.

"He wants them to be prepared as to what to look for," said spokeswoman Kelley Heck. On Monday, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services awarded $6.1 million in grants to New Jersey health care facilities to improve their preparedness and response to public health emergencies.

The grants went to 80 acute-care hospitals and 12 health centers. Hospitals received up to $75,000 each and health centers up to $20,000 each.
"Our eyes and ears are out there on the street," said FBI special agent Steven Siegel, a spokesman for the bureau's Newark division, which is working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"The everyday person might see something out of the ordinary. We ask them to call in. We would rather chase 100 leads that are nothing, than miss one that may be important."

Incidents similar to the ones in New Jersey have occurred at three hospitals in Boston, Detroit and Los Angeles, from late February to mid-March.

"Everybody's antenna is up and they are watching for stuff," said Stuart Weiss, director of the Center for Healthcare Preparedness for the Saint Barnabas Healthcare System.



Star-Ledger reporter Rick Hepp contributed to this report. Angela Stewart writes about health care. She may be reached at [e-mail] or [phone]. .


PS lookie here egypt now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4709491.stm