Page 30 - Security Today, May/June 2021

Unification is the Cure Failing healthcare security systems confront the pain of aging technology
By Despina Stamatelos
Lee Health operates the largest public health system in Florida. The organization welcomes more than 1 million patients each year across more than 100 sites - including four general hospitals, two special- ty hospitals, and 60 non-acute centers. More than 12,500 employees, 4,500 volunteers and 1,480 medical staff en- sure guests receive optimal care. Security teams stationed across five hospitals work around the clock to keep everyone safe, and ensure operations run smoothly. They also remotely oversee secu- rity at all other Lee Health sites, mitigating risks across the entire healthcare organization.
CONFRONTING THE PAIN OF AGING TECHNOLOGY
In the past, the Lee Health security department installed many different analog video and access control systems to secure each site. Over time, the technology began aging and failing.
For example, if a camera went offline or door hardware failed, the systems lack the capabilities to alert security staff to these vul- nerabilities. Finding information during investigations or emergen- cies was also inefficient for operators. They had to juggle multiple disparate systems, which slowed down the team’s response time.
When the construction of a new state-of-the-art children’s hospital began, Lee Health saw an opportunity to upgrade all their security technology. The team wanted a unified security platform which could help them become more efficient at secur- ing the entire organization from one central location.
Lee Health is now managing security across 20 sites and counting using the GenetecTM Security Center unified platform. After consult- ing with Fiber Solutions, a technology contractor, the Lee Health team saw how Security Center met all their must-have criteria.
Today, security operators at the award-winning Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida monitor video, access control, automatic license plate recognition, intercom and other security sensors from a single intuitive solution.
Now, whether an intercom call comes in from the parking ga- rage or a camera goes offline in the emergency room, the security team can act quickly. Using the security platform, teams at each site can collaborate and share information to keep everyone safe. They have also enhanced operations in countless ways such as streamlining parking access for physicians and upholding infec- tion containment protocols during renovations.
UNIFIES AND STREAMLINE OPERATIONS
At Lee Health, the safety of patients, staff, and guests come first. That’s why installing Security Center has been a pivotal upgrade to the organization’s security operations.
“In the past, if an alarm was activated, our team would have to check multiple systems to figure out what was going on; it was cumbersome and simply unacceptable,” said Sean Owens, direc- tor of security technology and non-acute at Lee Health. “The unified security platform provides our operators with one central source of information. It’s a refreshing change to have one solu- tion from which the team can handle any issue.”
From the unified interface, operators view and manage vid-
eo, door alarms, license plate reads, intercom and panic button notifications across many facilities. These include more than 16 non-acute centers and five major hospitals including Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, Health Park Medical Cen- ter, Lee Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
AN INTERFACE BUILT FOR OPERATOR EFFICIENCY
Now, when a panic alarm is triggered, operators can immediately view video to see what’s happening. They use a map of the facili- ties to find nearby views, unlock or lockdown doors or wings of buildings, and activate threat levels as needed.
Selecting a threat level provides operators with tools and easy- to-follow procedures to address specific events as quickly as pos- sible. While each acute site has its own security team, operators can remotely check-in on other sites and assist when needed.
“In a healthcare environment, it can get quite confusing for operators to manage cameras across many facilities because all corridors tend to look the same,” said Rodney Lavoie, president and CEO at Fiber Solutions. “Plan Manager, the map-based in- terface, is very helpful to customers like Lee Health because it allows users to quickly find devices within any building.”
The team also uses loitering analytics in the obstetrics unit to prevent possible infant abductions. This helps operators monitor suspicious behavior and keep newborns safe. Lavoie also added, “A unified solution has many components that are specifically de- signed to work together. As an integrator, it’s much easier for our team to work with one manufacturer and solution than having to constantly maintain integrations following upgrades or to keep up with training from various vendors. We believe Security Center is one of the effective enterprise-level solutions on the market.”
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