Nearly 1,900 additional employees at UM Health-West’s Village campus to receive wearable safety devices, building on the Canopy program already in place
WYOMING, MI– Sept. 29, 2026 — Canopy, the leader in connected safety technology for healthcare, is announcing that University of Michigan Health-West (UM Health-West) has deployed Canopy Protect, Canopy’s workplace safety platform, to nearly 1,900 employees across its Village campus. Beginning Thursday, Sept. 24, UM Health-West is distributing 1,875 wearable safety devices, giving staff a fast, discreet way to alert security and nearby colleagues the moment they need support.
With two quick presses of the wearable device, the Canopy Button instantly sends the employee’s name and location to security dispatch and alerts nearby colleagues, enabling a faster, more coordinated response before a situation escalates. The rollout is supported by the LocationID Network, with indoor and outdoor gateways providing coverage across the hospital, surrounding parking lots, and walking paths.
“There isn’t one single piece of technology or one security program that can address every situation we encounter,” said Gary Gorski, director of security at UM Health-West. “That’s why we’ve built this system in layers. Our K9 teams provide a visible presence and can help de-escalate situations. Weapons detection helps us keep dangerous items out of the ED and hospital, and Canopy gives our employees a way to discreetly call for help and tell us exactly where they are at a time when seconds matter.”
UM Health-West first piloted Canopy Protect in its Emergency Department in 2023. Following the success of that pilot, the hospital is now expanding the technology system-wide across its Village campus, making it available to clinical and non-clinical staff alike.
The deployment marks the latest expansion of Canopy’s presence within University of Michigan Health. University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, part of the same health system, has equipped thousands of staff with wearable duress buttons since introducing the program, and in May 2026 extended the technology to its hospice and home care teams, allowing clinicians who work inside patients’ homes to call for help just as discreetly as staff on hospital floors. UM Health-West’s rollout extends that same connected safety infrastructure to another University of Michigan Health community, reflecting a system-wide investment in giving frontline staff a fast, reliable way to call for help.
“Healthcare workers and frontline staff deserve to feel safe every time they step onto the floor, and we’re proud to partner with organizations like UM Health-West that are making workplace safety a priority,” said Shan Sinha, CEO and founder of Canopy.
Workplace violence remains one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges, with frontline caregivers frequently facing verbal threats and physical aggression on the job. By giving staff a direct line to security and colleagues, UM Health-West is equipping employees with a solution to intervene before situations escalate, complementing the training and response protocols already in place.
