St. Mary’s Health System Deploys Canopy’s Wearable Safety Technology System-Wide to Enhance Employee Safety 

138-year-old Maine health system equips all staff, across five locations in three communities, with discreet wearable duress buttons 

LEWISTON, ME, UNITED STATES, Aug 28 –– Canopy, the leader in connected safety technology for healthcare, today announced a partnership with St. Mary’s Health System, a member of Covenant Health serving the Greater Lewiston-Auburn community since 1888, to deploy Canopy Protect across its entire health system. St. Mary’s is equipping every employee, clinical and non-clinical, with wearable duress buttons that can notify nearby colleagues and security, allowing staff to summon support quickly and discreetly. 

The system-wide rollout, which went live August 19, spans a multi-city geographic footprint: St. Mary’s main campus in Lewiston, including d’Youville Pavilion and St. Mary’s Residences, two locations in Auburn, and its Poland location. Coverage extends beyond hospital walls to include parking areas, protecting staff as they walk to their vehicles at night. In total, the deployment covers 1,220 employees and 8 buildings. 

“Listening to our staff and investing in technology that makes their work safer is part of how we continue to evolve,” said Jill Rollins, CNO/COO of St. Mary’s Health System. “Canopy gives every member of our team a simple, discreet way to call for support and adds another layer of safety across our health system.” 

St. Mary’s decision to invest in Canopy grew out of the health system’s ongoing commitment to listening to its staff. Through culture-of-safety surveys, event reviews, and the work of its Workplace Violence Prevention Committee, which includes frontline nurses, emergency department staff, outpatient practice staff, and providers, a consistent need emerged: staff wanted a way to summon help quickly and discreetly, including on locked units where reaching a phone is not always possible. St. Mary’s rollout builds on Covenant Health’s existing experience with Canopy, which is already in use on specific units at two sister hospitals within the health system. 

Workplace violence remains one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges nationwide, and most tools available to health systems, including policies, training, and response protocols, focus on the moment violence occurs or its aftermath. Canopy Protect addresses the critical window before that point. With a discreet double-press of a wearable button, a staff member can call a colleague to check in on them before a situation escalates, enabling pre-escalation intervention that complements the training, education, and response protocols St. Mary’s already has in place.

“Healthcare workers and frontline staff deserve to feel safe every time they step on campus, and we’re proud to partner with organizations like St. Mary’s that are making workplace safety a priority for every single employee,” said Shan Sinha, CEO and founder of Canopy. “A health system that has served its community for nearly 140 years choosing to protect its entire workforce, across every campus, every role, and every shift, sends a powerful message. We’re excited to work alongside their team to create a safer environment for caregivers so they can stay focused on what matters most: delivering exceptional patient care.” 

Members of St. Mary’s Workplace Violence Prevention Committee, including emergency department staff, outpatient providers, and other frontline team members, previewed the technology ahead of launch and have been enthusiastic advocates for the rollout. On go-live day, St. Mary’s and Canopy teams distributed buttons at morning huddles across the system, with leadership on-site to celebrate the launch alongside staff.