Two Sharon Regional Health System employees who were leaving work Tuesday morning were approached by an armed robber within 10 minutes of one another.

The first incident happened at 7:45 as a woman was crossing the parking lot on East State Street on her way to the token parking lot, police said. A man approached the woman and asked for directions, then told her he had a gun in his pocket and demanded money, police said.

The woman told him she didn't have any money, and he asked her what was in the bags she was carrying, police said. When the man learned there was nothing of value in the bags, he walked away.

The second incident happened at 7:53 on Ormond Avenue, police said. A man of the same description approached another woman and grabbed her purse, causing her to fall into a fence, police said.

The woman ran to a nearby office for help, police said.

Police said they recovered the woman's purse and some of its contents.

The man is described as black, short and heavyset. He had a beard and was wearing a black or blue down coat and a stocking cap.

Ed Newmeyer, the hospital's director of marketing, said the hospital has never had a problem like this before.

Hospital security will accompany people to their cars if they want an escort, Newmeyer said.