Hospital Security News
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professional expertise to assist hospitals in developing an effective security
and risk management program.
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VOLUME
I NUMBER IV January, 2004
"Hospital
Security News" is SAI’s quarterly newsletter dedicated to helping
hospitals identify and manage their security risks, recognize
organizational
strengths and weaknesses in physical protection and improve the personal
security of patients, staff and individuals
that use their facilities. Each edition of this free newsletter will
feature a current hospital security issue where we'll analyze how security
was defeated and
recommend preventive measures and methods for improving security where
appropriate.
To receive a free
monthly copy, or contribute your personal experiences, please write: newsletter@saione.com or contact Editor:
Pam Carter, RN, BSN, MA Pam@saione.com
What is the Purpose and Benefit of
a Hospital Security Assessment?
The purpose of a hospital security assessment is to
assist hospitals in the protection of assets by identifying organizational
strengths and weaknesses in their physical protection and security
practices. SAI consultants provide
their expertise and experience to assist facilities in analyzing existing
protocols, policies, and procedures, in addition to evaluating the facilities
physical security. Findings are
analyzed, evaluated, and written recommendations are provided to improve the
hospital’s security management program as well as the facilities over-all
security.
What are consultant qualification
requirements to complete a hospital assessment?
Hospitals should retain only Healthcare Security
Professionals with industry credentials and professional certifications. In addition, consultants should have hands-on
experience as managers, directors, and security administrators in the
healthcare industry. SAI is an
internationally recognized healthcare security consulting firm serving as
consultants to senior level management in the healthcare industry. SAI Consultants have years of hands-on
experience and possess industry credentials, professional certifications, and
membership in national and international security organizations.
How Can Hospitals Maintain The High
Level of Protection Provided by a Professional Security Assessment?
The new 2004 JCAHO Environment of Care Standard
EC.2.10.1. requires facilities to perform hazard
surveillance surveys at least every six months in all areas where patients are
served and in other areas of the hospital annually to identify environmental
deficiencies, hazards, and unsafe practices.
The professional facility security assessment serves as a tool in
assisting hospitals to develop their Self-Assessments to meet the new
EC.2.10.1. requirement as well as the new EC.4.1.,
which requires hospitals to collect information about deficiencies and provide
opportunities for improvement in the environment of care.
How
“Careful assessment
of security needs guides implementation of multi-year plan of action At
“Patient care and
security are inseparable, says Bryan Koontz, director of safety and security
for the 368-bed facility, which provides care for a city of 77,000 and a
service area of more than 360,000.”
"In 1993, faced
with the growth of a prospering healthcare facility and expanded
responsibilities, I found myself on the short end of a shrinking security
budget. Given my obligation to protect the hospital from litigation, loss and
the wrath of the Joint Commission, I had to act quickly. Unfortunately,
`cutting edge' security cannot be accomplished overnight," says Koontz.
His first order of business was to identify assets
and liabilities. "I realized we needed an impartial evaluation of the
hospital's current security status. To determine where I needed to go, first I
had to know where I had been,” says Koontz.
I hired Security Assessments International of Durham, N.C., to assess
the hospital's security management program and recommend improvements.
The survey assessed:
* security
staffing * security duties and
responsibilities * physical security
measures * security response * security patrol *
central station monitoring * birthing center security *
emergency department security * pharmacy security
* parking facilities
Based on survey findings, a multi-year security
management plan was implemented - including the following changes:
Staffing and training: A security supervisor position and
two dispatcher positions were created. All safety/security officers now receive
certified hospital safety and security education and training through the
Professional Security Television Network. Each officer studies at his or her
own pace and receives a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
Dispatchers are certified through the central station monitor and alarm
operations program provided through vendor-supplied training. Security
employees' certification and Continuing education/in-service records are kept
on file for JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations) documentation.
Duties and responsibilities: Security response time to calls was evaluated in
interviews with employees and staff. A form was developed to help officers
document calls for service. The new form shows the time a call is received,
time dispatched, time arrived, time of completion and action taken. Data
collected is used to monitor service quality and to evaluate performance.
Physical security: Security operations had been located in cramped quarters with no room for expansion. Redesign and replacement of old equipment yielded additional space without structural change or cost to the hospital. Traffic in security operations is now restricted to security personnel and telecommunications staff.
CCTV: An old black-and-white tube camera
system was replaced with a state-of-the-art color system to provide clearer
pictures of persons, objects and events.
A fiber-optic transmission system minimizes lightning problems.
Perimeter cameras on top of the main hospital facilities building and on the
outpatient surgery building provide unlimited surveillance of the parking lots
and campus.
The perimeter system consists of
seven Burle high-resolution 1/2-inch CCD color cameras equipped with 12 120mm
auto-iris zoom lenses. Outdoor
cameras are protected with Pelco EH4700 housings
equipped with fans and heaters. The cameras also feature PT570-24P pan/tilts
with preset functions. Camera functions are controlled by American Dynamics 24V
receivers configured with 72 presets that include auto/random pan capabilities.
Parapet mounts have been installed on the buildings to allow perimeter cameras
to swing into the roof to facilitate servicing.
An American Dynamics 1650AR16-10L
microprocessor-based control system has been interfaced with an infant security
system. It features alarm call-up capability, integral menu-driven setup,
password protection, priority lockout, salvo switching, programmable camera
numbering and system partitioning. The central system also features tour
selection; on-screen display, site control and system alarm status output. A
distribution panel provides control codes to data receivers on the exterior
cameras, and a converter panel controls variable speed domes in the Birthing
Center. A Sanyo time-lapse, 8- and 24-hour, industrial-grade VCR with a
time/date generator and alarm input handles event recording. Eight Burle TC210
9-inch color monitors in the security control room monitor main perimeter
cameras. A Burle TC2 15 14-inch color monitor is used in record and playback
modes. The whole system is housed in a Stantron
six-bay, custom-designed console that also holds the card access system, PC and
printer. F our console bays have 18-inch writing surfaces, and two have 5-foot
cabinets that contain the fire alarm panel and newly designed backup generator
control.
A CCD color camera has been installed in the
shipping and receiving area at the loading dock to monitor movement of people
and assets in and out of the hospital. A color CCD camera with 24-hour VCR
recording capability has been installed in the pharmacy and can be monitored by
pharmacy personnel and in security operations. Another CCD color camera with
24-hour VCR recording capability has been installed in the nuclear medicine
department to help personnel control access to this restricted location.
Birthing Center security has been enhanced by four
American Dynamics color dome cameras (10X lenses) to monitor corridors and
elevator access. Speed domes have been interfaced with the infant tracking
system and feature variable-speed pan-and-tilts, housings and digital receivers
with presets. The domes are monitored and controlled by security operations.
The new CCTV specifications were written and
designed by SFI Electronics, a Charlotte-based systems integrator. SFI offers
commercial, industrial and institutional security applications and provides
design and sales assistance, installation and field/branch repair service.
Electronic infant security: For additional security in the mother/baby unit, an
Accutech Infant Security System uses radio frequency proximity technology to
monitor people. Inside each sensor is a computer chip,
lithium battery and two small ferrite-rod antennas to communicate via radio
frequencies. Wands wired around doorways or hallways leading to exits or
elevators tie into control panels at the nursing station and security office.
The system is set up to lock affected doors when an Accutech sensor is detected
before a door is opened. Once a sensor is detected, the door remains locked
until the sensor leaves the area.
The system also controls the exit of infants through
an elevator. Once a sensor is detected at an elevator, the doors are closed,
and the call button is deactivated. The system will not prevent the elevator
from reaching the floor by staff or visitors. But if the elevator doors are
opened and a sensor is in the detection field, the doors will remain open,
preventing the elevator from leaving the floor. The system will also activate
the appropriate alarm devices, such as an alarm tone, CCTV or remote hospital
security alert. The elevator and call button will remain deactivated until a
staff member goes to the alarmed elevator and resets the system with the alarm
reset keypad.
The Accutech transmit loop antenna is a run of wire
discreetly placed over, under and around the area to be monitored to form a
complete loop. Wiring is hidden behind a wall, or runs along door, elevator, or
hallway moldings. A receive antenna is required at each monitored area. The receive aerial is an unobtrusive device placed near the
transmit loop. It receives the sensors' coded identification signal and sends
it to the Accutech controller. The control equipment - the heart of the system
- is in an equipment room. Sensors are imbedded with a common code to eliminate
false alarms, and they are equipped with a unique code that identifies
individuals entering monitored zones. The computer-enhanced system not only
locks doors and deactivates elevators, but also identifies which infant is
being removed without authorization and activates an alarm at the nurses'
station.
The infant security system was installed by
Innovative Control Systems. ICS develops and markets electronic monitoring and
security systems worldwide under the name Accutech.
Lighting: A lighting survey
of the parking lots and surrounding campus determined that most areas did not
meet the minimum requirement for public areas of 2 foot-candles. Illuminating
Technologies performed a total exterior upgrade in fiscal year 1994. The
average foot-candle reading was raised to 5.9 foot-candles, with a maximum of
6.7 foot-candles, and an average lighting of 3.2 foot-candles for the entire
campus. Supra-Lyte, an energy-efficient lighting
system, was installed throughout the parking areas and grounds. The Widelite SLS100-2-277V, a 1,000-watt, high-pressure sodium
lamp, was selected for the upgrade. It is equipped with a vertical lens design
to maximize light transmission and reduce dirt depreciation factors. Horizontal
lenses reflect a substantial amount of light back into the luminary and tend to
collect dirt and bugs easily. The vertical lens allows maximum light to be
transmitted at the beam angle and is more resistant to dirt accumulation.
The large, high-efficiency reflector system, made
possible by the absence of the ballast in the optical housing, provides better
control of long HID arc tubes. Most of the light is reflected only once, for
superior primary path efficiency. The Supra-Lyte
ballast is located below the lamp and operates at a cooler temperature,
reducing heat problems and extending the life of the component. The assembly is
wind-tested to 130 mph and is U.L.-listed.
Emergency call box:
Emergency
call stations were installed throughout the parking facility in fiscal year
1993 by CALL 24 Wireless Call Box Systems, a division of RCS Communications
Group. CALL 24 is a computer-based, self-contained emergency call box system.
It is equipped with batteries that can be charged from any common AC voltage or
solar power and operates on FCC-licensed radio communications frequencies.
Voltage for the system's internal batteries is
routed from the parking lot lighting and allows the system to function for up
to four days during a power outage. CALL 24 housings are made of vandal-resistant,
weather-tempered aluminum. The covers have reflective decals with
straightforward instructions. The antenna on top of the call box can be housed
in fiberglass or mounted on top of the strobe light. The call box is activated
with the push of a button, and even if the person calling for help cannot
communicate with dispatch, every security person with a radio will know which
location has been activated. Security can selectively listen to the area around
any call box. When a distress call is placed from a call box, an alarm sounds
in security operations. As soon as the dispatcher initiates two-way
communications, all security officers on duty can hear the conversation over
their two-way radios and respond immediately.
Constantly changing regulations such as OSHA, EPA
and environment of care standards mandated by the Joint Commission require
healthcare practitioners to provide a safe environment for patients, visitors
and staff. Hospitals are not havens from societal violence. Emergency
departments across the nation have been the scenes of assaults and hostage
situations at the hands of patients, relatives, visitors and gang members. Now,
more than ever, hospitals must provide adequate security and good patient
care.”
Note from SAI: Twenty plus years
of experience as hospital security professionals has taught us that each
facility is unique. Many factors have to be taken into consideration
when assessing the vulnerability of a particular hospital. This can only
be accomplished through an on-site visit.
The preceding article written by Jeff Aldridge appeared in Access Control
& Security Systems Integration magazine.
Hospital Security Issues – In the News
HIPAA security: Assessments and
Disaster Recovery Plans - Where to Begin?
http://www.hipaadvisory.com/action/security/disasterrecov.htm
On-line resources
Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Safety management (EC.1.10)
Security management (EC.2.10)
Rationale for EC.2.10: It is essential that an
organization manages the physical and personal security
of patients, staff, (including addressing the risks of violence in
the workplace), and individuals coming to the organization’s
facilities. In addition, security of the
established environment, equipment, supplies, and information is also important.
Emergency
management (EC.4.10)
Security
Assessments International
Future Newsletter Topics
Hospital
Liability “When to hire a Security Expert”
Components of a “Self-Assessment”
Educating
Employees and Staff
How
to select an infant security system
State-of-the-art
protection for Emergency Departments
Violence
in the workplace
Access
control / lockdown
Parking
deck and parking lot lighting
Disclaimer
Advice given in this "Newsletter" is
general in nature, and subscribers (readers of this material) should consult
with professional counsel for specific legal, ethical, or clinical advice. The information provided in the SAI Newsletters is for educational
purposes only and should not be considered 'legal' advice. Websites
listed are for reference only and are provided for subscribers (readers of the
material) to have an opportunity to read the original documents in total.
Please consult your legal counsel or Compliance Officer for clarification of
laws and rules related to your State when applicable.
SAI is not affiliated with the Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
SAI
- ©December,
2003
