We are passionate about preventing and mitigating violence in healthcare.
Leveraging Healthcare Security and Psychology Expertise to Enhance Your Safety
Healthcare Security Institute Founder David Corbin and Chief Psychology Consultant Shelby Ortega, Ph.D. bring a unique mix of healthcare security and psychology expertise directly to you through our innovative training programs.
As professional educators with extensive teaching and program development experience, we have designed these training programs to be engaging and immediately valuable to help keep you safe work.
As practitioners currently working in our respective fields, we understand the current threats and vulnerabilities regarding violence in healthcare. Our shared goal is to prevent violence in healthcare- one person at a time - through world-class education, resources, and tools.
Please see our biographies below for more information about our backgrounds.
Who We Are
David Corbin, MS, CPP, CHPA
Founder, The Healthcare Security Institute
David Corbin is a seasoned security consultant with over 25 years of experience in designing and implementing innovative, tailored security solutions for organizations across a wide range of industries.
David brings a unique blend of hands-on operational experience and strategic insight to every client engagement. His consulting services include comprehensive security risk assessments, workplace violence prevention program development, security operations improvement, security technology integration, and emergency preparedness planning. He has a proven track record of helping organizations identify and address security vulnerabilities while fostering a culture of safety and compliance.
David’s expertise is rooted in his leadership roles at top-tier healthcare organizations. As the inaugural Director of Campus Security Operations at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, he spearheaded the development of cutting-edge security operations while supporting the Institute's critical role in the regional COVID-19 response. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, David transitioned a 125-person security department from outsourced to in-house operations and developed comprehensive security programs that significantly enhanced campus safety and operational efficiency.
David is also a recognized thought leader in the field of healthcare security. He is the author of the Healthcare Security Field Manual: Patient Violence Prevention and Mitigation, and the Healthcare Security Field Manual: Community Care Site Security, which have been widely praised by healthcare leaders for their practical, actionable guidance. Under his leadership, the security team at Faulkner Hospital was awarded the prestigious Lindberg Bell Award for excellence in healthcare security, a testament to David’s ability to transform security programs and achieve lasting results.
David is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP), a Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator (CHPA), and a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Specialist. He is also a graduate of the Gavin de Becker & Associates Advanced Threat Assessment and Management Academy and the Wharton/ASIS Security Executive Program.
David holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University and a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Roger Williams University.
Shelby Ortega, Ph.D.
Chief Psychology Consultant, The Healthcare Security Institute
Dr. Ortega is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and educator with nearly two decades of experience in her field. She has extensive training and expertise in multicultural mental health, identity development, adult attachment relationships, emotional skillfulness, and intimacy. Presently, Dr. Ortega serves as a Teaching Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and as a Clinical Psychologist in her Metro-Boston and North Shore Private Practices.
Dr. Ortega earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Clark University and her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College. She is a former Harvard Medical School Fellow where she completed two postgraduate fellowships focused on the integration of psychoanalytic theory, research and practice, with community public health principles and settings. Subsequently, Dr. Ortega was nationally recognized by the American Psychoanalytic Association as a Fellow for her clinical scholarship and commitment to community mental health research and practice.
As a scholar, Dr. Ortega founded and served as the Inaugural Program Director for the Counseling Psychology Graduate Program at Regis College. This uniquely focused Program is dedicated to a philosophy of multicultural psychology and its practice considerations in the training of masters level mental health clinicians. Dr. Ortega currently serves on the Advisory Boards for Regis College’s Undergraduate and Graduate Programs within the Psychology Department where her commitment to social justice and policy continues to inform their philosophies and instruction.
As a practitioner, Dr. Ortega has provided clinical services and supervision to diverse and underserved populations in a variety of medical, educational, and training sites including Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston University Medical Center, and Cambridge Health Alliance. Dr. Ortega’s approach is distinguished by her dedication to a therapeutic and educational frame that is inclusive of social and cultural context, and therefore, promotes discussions of issues related to oppression, privilege, and of course, intersectionality of complex identity statuses. Her work is tailored to meet the unique needs of those she serves in a sensitive and responsive manner. Dr. Ortega enjoys working with people from all walks of life and makes every effort to help those she works with feel welcomed, engaged, supported, and respected.