Whether you’re aiming to secure your first healthcare security contract or looking to deepen your knowledge in the field, it’s crucial to recognize that the role of security in healthcare goes beyond just surveillance and access control. It’s about creating an environment where safety and care go hand in hand, ensuring that every aspect of security aligns with the mission and vision of the healthcare organizations you serve.
As we delve into these principles, remember that the goal is not just about preventing incidents but also about fostering a sense of safety and trust among patients, visitors, and staff alike. In this article, we are going to look at 4 key areas of healthcare security for any physical security owners looking to get into this industry.
1. Understand the Role of Physical Security in a Healthcare Environment
Before you try to win your first healthcare security contract, you need to think about the role your security company will have in a healthcare facility. The potential client you are selling security services should be heavily involved in helping you define the security systems they want in place.
Everything you do – from patrols to incident management & response – needs to follow the mission and vision of care of the healthcare organization you are trying to win. Think about the security services you provide as a business function specific to the healthcare organization.
In your initial meetings with a potential healthcare client, ask them questions that will help you know what specific security systems they are looking for in their security provider.
Now that we’ve got a foundation for healthcare security, let’s look at a couple of best practices that will help you determine the needs of a healthcare client.
2. Psychological vs. Physical Safeguards
In hospital and healthcare security, it’s crucial to distinguish between psychological and physical safeguards during security patrols. Psychological safeguards might involve visible measures like signage alerting to the presence of video monitoring or the strategic placement of security camera monitors where visitors can easily see them.
Such visual cues are highly effective because they leverage the natural human tendency to notice and react to video feeds, potentially deterring unwanted behavior simply through their presence.
On the other hand, physical safeguards are the tangible assets deployed to protect and secure the premises, including the presence of security officers, the cameras themselves, and adequate lighting among others. These are direct measures taken to not only monitor but actively prevent security breaches and ensure safety within the facility.
Psychological and physical safeguards can intersect, enhancing overall security efficiency. For example, the mere presence of a security officer can act as a strong psychological deterrent to potential wrongdoers, aside from their physical role in responding to incidents.
In planning security for a healthcare environment, aiming for a blend of both psychological and physical safeguards can fortify the facility’s security posture considerably. This approach not only addresses immediate security threats but also works on a psychological level to create an environment where staff, patients, and visitors feel safer.
3. Conducting Security Patrols at a Healthcare Facility
An effective security patrol at any type of property has some general rules for success like using guard tour software to conduct patrols, thinking about common checkpoint types, and having a good reporting system.
In healthcare security, there are 9 key areas specific to healthcare facilities that you should know about before you meet with a prospective healthcare client:
- Inpatient facilities: These areas have a lot of overlap between patients, visitors, and employees. Ask questions about the layout and foot traffic of these areas to include high-risk services.
- Emergency departments: There is a lot of chaos and high emotion in emergency departments. It’s important to be a calming presence and maintain order while keeping access as clear as possible so the right people can get where they need to go quickly. This is a 24/7 area, so keep in mind constant internal and external access points for ambulatory (ambulance) and non-ambulatory operations.
- Behavioral & mental health areas: These areas can have a higher risk of violence because of the condition of a patient and a lot of times require a different security response (including uniforms).
- Pharmacies: Storing narcotics and controlled substances increase the risk of theft and have unique risks in the environment. Having extensive physical safeguards and guard training in place here is important.
- Cashiers/cash collection areas: Again, there is a high risk of theft in these areas. Internal theft can be as much of a problem as visitor/patient robbery. Ask the client questions about their protocol for collection, transportation, and storage of money.
- Infant/pediatric facilities: Infants and pediatric patients are incredibly vulnerable. Even though it is rare, infant abduction is a real threat. Having systems in place for prevention is key. Having an extensive risk mitigation plan – including video monitoring, access control, staff training, and response planning – is critical.
- Protected health information: Hospitals have a lot of confidential information about patients. The security officer on patrol has to protect confidential patient information at all cost. It is critical to healthcare security. Pay attention to how patrol and training can help protect that information physically and digitally.
- Utility/mechanical/infrastructure areas: This is an area that needs attention at any facility that has it. Ensuring that things like heating, lighting, and electricity are working is important to maintain patient safety.
- Biological/chemical/radiation areas: Highly hazardous materials stored in these areas can bring massive health risks if they aren’t stored and handled properly. Ask your potential healthcare client about how they currently manage these areas and any specific needs they have managing hazardous material areas.
4. Patient Violence & Protecting Healthcare Workers
Patient-generated violence is a real problem at healthcare facilities. Hospitals are reporting that it’s difficult to keep their security departments fully staffed because of the increased risk associated in hospital care. Consider that aggravated assaults accounted for 78% of violent crime incidents in hospitals.
Any security company looking at this industry needs to include this as part of their security plan. Start by understanding that verbal and physical intervention are basic expectations of a healthcare security officer.
If you have a potential healthcare client, asking them what protocols they have for violence prevention and response will show that you have done your research. If they don’t have a protocol, offering to help them establish one can make you a trusted partner.
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