Page 68 - Security Today, July/August 2018

Key Considerations What stakeholders expect in securing a medical facility
BMy Paul Swan
edical centers are unique facilities in that they can be diverse in their security needs (depending on the use of the building) yet share similar requirements. For example: behavioral health locations benefit from a selection of doors and openings that protect
specific needs of the people who will use your building, involve mul- tiple stakeholders invested in the facility’s success, and then plan for their unique safety and security requirements.
Specific Considerations
Some example considerations for medical centers include:
patients from self-harm. Meanwhile, a labor and delivery unit must have accountability for the safety and security of newborns. The two locations require very different solutions for doors and access con- trol, yet both need to ensure patient records, medicines and valuable materials are stored in accordance with laws and regulations.
Having both specific and shared goals is what makes medical cen- ters quite unique to security. Rarely are two buildings alike, yet they all have common needs, requirements and goals. As such, all medi- cal centers share one best practice for planning security: consider the
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Do patients in an overnight care center or emergency room have confidence that their smartphones, tablets and other personal de- vices will be safe if they leave them unattended?
How often is a particular opening being left ajar for employee breaks? Does anyone know who might be accessing the hospital through that door?
How does a medical center protect clinical, professional, adminis- trative and environmental staff from suspicion of diverting supplies?
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JULY/AUGUST 2018 | SECURITY TODAY
MEDICAL CENTER SECURITY
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