Page 93 - Security Today, July/August 2022

Phots courtesy of Allegion
By Melany Whalin
"While infection control has always been a top health care priority, the pandemic accelerated the adoption
of new solutions. Almost 90% of facilities are using antimicrobial products to reduce the spread of bacteria."
latch position. A similar trend was taking place in multifamily buildings and campuses, as facil- ity managers leveraged access control data to determine building capacities and support con- tact tracing.
Over the last five years, the interest in building automation has also peaked. Hospi- tals are using this to electronically control sys- tems like HVAC, electrical, plumbing and security. When used correctly, building auto- mation improves efficiency, lowers mainte- nance and operating costs, and increases pro- ductivity. This technology also aims to provide a better experience for building occupants— employees and patients—by creating better indoor air quality and greater comfort.
Taking Care of Care Professionals
Health care professionals took on the brunt of the pandemic, which resulted in widespread workload strains, staffing shortages and stress. According to a recent Deloitte report, 55% of frontline health care workers in the U.S. report
burnout. Couple these challenges with an aging population, and the industry is facing massive disruption. By 2026, there is expected to be a staffing shortage of 3.2 million health- care workers, according to a recent Forrester study commissioned by Sterling.
Given this, staff satisfaction is top of mind for health care leaders. When asked how their organization measures effectiveness of hands-free and touchless products, the top response was improvement of staff satisfac- tion (66%). Staff satisfaction was in the top three answers when asked a similar question about measuring the effectiveness of antimi- crobials. This was also an important factor for how respondents measure the effective- ness of quiet door hardware.
Leaders are implementing better processes and technology to attract and retain talent. As the health care industry seeks to bridge the talent gap, staffing and employee experi- ence will continue to be a top priority in the industry.
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