St. Mary's rolls out wearable duress buttons across its Maine health system

St. Mary's Health System has deployed Canopy Protect across all five of its locations in Maine, giving 1,220 employees wearable duress buttons to call for help discreetly. The system-wide rollout is designed to improve staff safety in buildings, on locked units and in parking areas.

Why it matters: - St. Mary's is extending workplace safety tools to every employee, not just selected departments. - The rollout gives staff a discreet way to summon help before a situation escalates. - The deployment also reaches parking areas, where staff may be vulnerable while walking to their cars at night.

What happened: - St. Mary's Health System deployed Canopy Protect system-wide on August 19. - The health system equipped all clinical and non-clinical employees with wearable duress buttons. - The rollout covers 1,220 employees across 8 buildings. - The deployment spans St. Mary's main campus in Lewiston, including d'Youville Pavilion and St. Mary's Residences, two locations in Auburn and a location in Poland. - Canopy announced the partnership with St. Mary's Health System, a member of Covenant Health serving the Greater Lewiston-Auburn community since 1888.

The details: - A double-press on the wearable button can notify nearby colleagues and security. - Staff can use the button to call a colleague to check in before an incident worsens. - The system is designed to support pre-escalation intervention. - St. Mary's said the rollout followed culture-of-safety surveys, event reviews and work by its Workplace Violence Prevention Committee. - The committee includes frontline nurses, emergency department staff, outpatient practice staff and providers. - Staff on locked units wanted a way to summon help quickly without relying on a phone. - Covenant Health already uses Canopy on specific units at two sister hospitals, giving St. Mary's prior system experience with the technology. - Jill Rollins, CNO/COO of St. Mary's Health System, said the goal is to make work safer and give every team member a simple, discreet way to call for support. - Shan Sinha, CEO and founder of Canopy, said the partnership sends a message that the entire workforce will be protected across every campus, role and shift.

Between the lines: - The rollout reflects a broader shift in healthcare safety strategy from reacting after violence occurs to intervening before escalation. - St. Mary's appears to be using staff feedback to guide capital and safety decisions. - The system-wide approach suggests the health system wants a consistent safety standard across locations and job types.

What's next: - St. Mary's and Canopy teams distributed the buttons at morning huddles on launch day. - Leadership was on-site to mark the rollout with staff. - The health system will now rely on the wearable system alongside existing training, education and response protocols. - Canopy said it will continue working with St. Mary's to support a safer environment for caregivers and patient care.