How To Keep Your Healthcare Facility Safe With Robust Security

June 23rd, 2023

Hospitals in Houston are busy places with people in and out at all hours of the day and night. Add to that traffic are also many different types of people which leads to serious issues with security. 75% of workplace assaults occur in health care settings. While the average person may be shocked to hear this statistic,  most employees in the healthcare industry simply consider violence to be part of the job. 

Top Four Reasons Health Care Facilities Need Security

Security measures need to be placed in all healthcare facilities to keep them safe and eliminate any violence that seems to have become a common occurrence. So let's look at the top four reasons that health care facilities need top-notch security. 

1. Physical Attacks On Staff: A study by the Emergency Nurses Association showed 55.6% of nurses have been a victim of violence. 
2. Rise in Active Shooters: The majority of in-hospital shootings occur in the Emergency room. 
3. Infant Abductions: A shocking 20,000 infants were abducted last year.
4. Supplies and Property Theft: In 2017, one employee in a hospital in San Antonio TX stole over $400,000 in equipment, “because it was easy”.

These are just a few of the challenges Healthcare facilities face in  Houston. So to keep not just staff safe but all who enter and exit, a good strategy for security is needed. 

Healthcare Facility Security  Needs

So the question is how do we keep everyone in Houston as safe as possible? Using the right security measures and equipment, we have listed some to address those healthcare facility needs.

1. Surveillance Cameras: Surveillance cameras must be HIPAA compliant so that they do not record any personal information. Therefore they can be installed in the following locations.

• Facility entrances and exits
• Elevators and fire escapes
• Entrances to restricted areas
• Pharmacy perimeter
• Hallways

These areas are legal as they are considered open to the public. 

1. Authorized Access Control: All hospitals have areas that are off limit except to authorized personnel. The ways this can be accomplished is through various methods such as:

• Using access cards
• Keypad access only 
• Fingerprint ID
• Facial Recognition

1. Shooter Detection System: Shot Detection System is a new technology developed to shorten response time when gunfire occurs on hospital property. Installed into the existing building infrastructure, this system can be mounted on walls, ceilings or surface mount. It detects gunfire in the building and immediately relays this information via a floor plan map with the location where the shot was fired not just to first responders but also the building occupants via text message, allowing the staff to respond faster. 

1. Armed Security Guards: The number of armed security guards at healthcare facilities has grown over the last two decades. With proper training, armed security officers such as trained police working off duty can make a healthcare facility a safer place. But they cannot be in all places all the time. The best use of armed security guards is in conjunction with high tech video systems to help them pinpoint where they are needed immediately. 

Work With A Professional Security Company

Hospitals should be a place of healing, the joy of a new baby, a safe place to work. Employees should feel safe inside and outside the building. There is nothing like having a good reputation for safety. With the proper surveillance system installed and monitored, it can be easily achieved. Fortunately, a professional security company can help. They can design a system for your hospital that will keep your patients, staff, and assets safe.