{"id":395249,"date":"2026-01-06T12:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/395249\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T12:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:00:14","slug":"salt-to-a-wound-social-workers-still-reeling-in-aftermath-of-ward-86-stabbing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/395249\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Salt to a Wound\u2019: Social Workers Still Reeling in Aftermath of Ward 86 Stabbing"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a statement after the stabbing, the Sheriff\u2019s Office said an on-site deputy \u201cintervened immediately, restraining the suspect and securing the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

The union representing sheriff\u2019s deputies went a step further, placing a sponsored post in all-capital letters on Instagram saying that a \u201cdeputy sheriff saved Ward 86 from a rapid mass casualty stabbing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is exactly what deputy sheriffs are supposed to do on high-risk units: be close enough to stop an attack in progress and protect frontline healthcare workers,\u201d Ken Lomba, president of the San Francisco Sheriff\u2019s Association, said in a press release.<\/p>\n

The Sheriff\u2019s Office declined to comment for this story.<\/p>\n

Alvarez, 32, said he sees the department\u2019s sponsored post regularly, making it hard even to take a break from reality with a social media scroll. Both the post and the city\u2019s official description feel like a blow on top of the trauma he\u2019s still processing from that moment he jumped in to try to save Rangel, whom he looked up to as a fellow queer Latino on the ward.<\/p>\n

Multiple Ward 86 social workers told KQED, some on the condition of anonymity, that Alvarez was the first person to intervene in the attack, and eyewitnesses said the suspect dropped the 5-inch knife after being pulled off Rangel, with a deputy intervening shortly afterward.<\/p>\n

\"\"Alex Alvarez, a clinical social worker, stands on a parking garage at UCSF Parnassus campus in San Francisco on Dec. 30, 2025. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Officials at UCSF directed Ward 86 staff not to discuss any aspects of the incident unless university legal counsel is present, according to an email reviewed by KQED.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sheriff\u2019s deputy did not intervene immediately during the attack. Ward 86 staff \u2014 not law enforcement \u2014 physically intervened to stop the assault,\u201d reads the collective statement from staff. \u201cThe attacker remained unrestrained for several minutes after the assault ended.<\/p>\n

Staff had to repeatedly direct the deputy to remove the attacker from the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tortolero-Arriechi allegedly stabbed Rangel in the shoulder and neck. He has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal stabbing, according to the District Attorney\u2019s office, and he is scheduled to enter a plea on Wednesday. After his arrest, he was hospitalized at San Francisco General and was recently discharged from the psychiatric ward and transferred to county jail.<\/p>\n

\u201cA life was lost, and that is never something we take lightly. I give my condolences to Mr. Rangel\u2019s family, friends, and colleagues,\u201d his attorney, Deputy Public Defender Sylvia Nguyen, said in an email. \u201cBeing a social worker \u2014 working behind the scenes in all aspects of medical care, serving residents who are most in need of resources and support \u2014 is often a thankless job that people do out of the goodness of their hearts. It\u2019s clear he made an impact on so many lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A memorial for social worker Alberto Rangel, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 4 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, outside the hospital on Dec. 9, 2025. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/p>\n

The hospital has increased security and law enforcement presence in the ward, which did not have metal detectors prior to the incident, by tightening control over access points and adding weapon-detection technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are implementing immediate security enhancements to protect staff and patients, while also advancing long-term structural changes to prevent future incidents,\u201d a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health said in an email. \u201cIn addition, the city is engaging an independent security firm to objectively review the Ward 86 incident and our safety practices systemwide. These assessments will inform both immediate corrective actions and long-term investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city reported the incident to the California Department of Public Health, Cal\/OSHA and the Joint Commission, which evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations.<\/p>\n

One social worker said the hospital made some crisis counselors available and told workers they can visit San Francisco General\u2019s trauma and recovery center for group processing sessions, but accessing those services has not been straightforward.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, staff have been told to report back to work, with a welcome breakfast scheduled for this morning. Several said they still don\u2019t feel safe enough to return yet.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lindsay Felten sits in her apartment on Dec. 20, 2025. Her colleague Alberto Rangel was fatally stabbed at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Dec. 4, 2025. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/p>\n

\u201cMy colleagues and myself experienced a really traumatic incident that should have been prevented,\u201d said Lindsay Felten, a clinical social worker at Ward 86. She said that the lack of support from management has felt like \u201cadding salt to a wound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Felten and other Ward 86 staff are calling for protected time off, as many are now navigating both the trauma of the event and paperwork for additional therapy needs and workers\u2019 compensation. Others are dipping into their sick leave and vacation bank to give themselves more time to heal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re being told they did everything they could, that the sheriff saved the day, when the way we see it is like we showed up for ourselves,\u201d Felten said. \u201cWe kept our other patients and colleagues safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alvarez is seeking workers\u2019 compensation and has yet to return to the ward. \u201cI\u2019ve been too nervous to go back,\u201d he said. \u201cI will avoid the area. I don\u2019t even drive by it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Threats and risky situations were not uncommon at San Francisco General before the incident last month. The hospital is known as a \u201csafety net\u201d for many of the city\u2019s most vulnerable, and that often means taking in patients who are turned away from other places due to behavior, needs or because they are on Medi-Cal.<\/p>\n

\"\"An altar honoring Alberto Rangel sits in Lindsay Felten\u2019s apartment on Dec. 20, 2025. (Beth LaBerge\/KQED)<\/p>\n

Ward 86 started as the first-ever dedicated HIV\/AIDS outpatient clinic in 1983, at a time when the government and many medical institutions turned a blind eye to the epidemic.<\/p>\n

The clinic still performs essential HIV care, and over the years, the population it serves has grown increasingly complex. Many patients are extremely low-income and come in with dual diagnoses, including substance use disorder and other mental health challenges.<\/p>\n

The fatal stabbing has intensified debate over hospital security for both workers and patients.<\/p>\n

Alvarez, who was in the midst of finals for pre-med classes he\u2019s taking at City College at the time of the attack, wishes there was more he could do in Rangel\u2019s final moments. He\u2019s hoping to one day become a physician\u2019s assistant or doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt cemented,\u201d he said, \u201cwhy I want to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a statement after the stabbing, the Sheriff\u2019s Office said an on-site deputy \u201cintervened immediately, restraining the suspect…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":395250,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[64,63,137,500],"class_list":{"0":"post-395249","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=395249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/395249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/395250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=395249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=395249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=395249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}