Incidents like these, and those that will surely follow, should be instructive to hospital administrators, in that these kinds of incidents can occur quickly and without notice.The security needs of hospitals are uniquely different from any other kind of business enterprise. Hospitals, for the most part, are open, inviting facilities with varying degrees of access control. It suffices to say that every hospital is vulnerable to penetration by bad people. This means, to use a football analogy, hospitals must deploy a “Bend, but don’t break defense.” This means that the security program must anticipate that folks are going to enter the hospitals that do not belong. This means there must be secondary and even tertiary lines of defense within the outer perimeter.

Hospital security programs, not unlike most security programs, differ from hospital to hospital predicated on a wide range of variables. No two hospital security programs are, or should be, the same. This means that security is a situational discipline. It also means that the hospital security program must find its origins in a competent security assessment. It is critical that any hospital that has not had a recent through security assessment do so in the near term. Clearly all hospitals must increase their vigilance for the potential of copycat crimes.

Many hospitals, across the country unfortunately, do not place a high priority on security. Some see security only as a necessary evil and a drain on scarce resources. Effective security programs do and should contribute to the financial well being of the institution. Hospital security programs have the potential to deter financial drains by preventing thousands of dollars from walking out the numerous doors that most hospitals have.

Clearly effective hospital security is a team sport. This means every employee must participate every day. Hospital security is not a “we/them” proposition (we = all employees except security personnel; them = security personnel). Effective security programs must include the proper mixture of employee participation, the judicious use of physical security equipment and technology and (in most cases) security personnel. Don’t wait until it is too late, but better late than never.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SMSI Inc. has been providing security management services to hospitals for over 25 years. Those services have included the provision of total facility security assessments, specialized security training programs, security awareness training, as well as helping hospitals develop RFPs and supporting the hospital’s vendor selection processes.

SMSI Inc. has also worked for and in opposition to hospitals when retained as security experts in security driven lawsuits. These cases have included infant abductions, elder abuse, sexual assaults, aggravated assault and even homicide cases. Most all of the cases were reasonably preventable if an adequate assessment had been conducted. SMSI’s experience with more than 500 lawsuits, including approximately 40 hospital cases, has been very instructive as to how to mitigate these avoidable risks.

We have found that hospital security programs run the gamut from very good to barely adequate. Yet even the very good programs can be improved. Usually the quality of the security program is reflective of the expertise of the security management team. However not every hospital can afford a security manager who demands a six figure salary with an assistant requiring a near six figure salary. Yet there is some irony in the fact that the higher paid, more professional managers often oversee more cost effective security operations. Qualified security managers understand the business perspective of running a healthcare organization.

Hospital security programs face challenges unlike any other industry. They must keep patients and visitors safe on one hand, while at the same time maintaining an inviting sense of openness. Hospital emergency rooms routinely treat criminals, drug addicts, psychiatric patients and battered women, while at the same time treating innocent children. Hospitals are 24 X 7 operations with hundreds of points of ingress and egress. Hospitals are loaded with thousands of consumables goods that an average person could use around the home, yet most hospitals do not have a real handle on their level of shrinkage.

For these reasons and many more, Security Management Services International, Inc (SMSI Inc.), is offering an alternative between highly paid security management and inexperienced hospital security management. Through the SMSI Security Management Support Program, SMSI is able to support the existing management team thereby facilitating a high quality security operation. SMSI offers the services of credentialed security professionals who understand the unique challenges of hospital security. The SMSI team is comprised of Board Certified Protection Professionals (CPP), certified in security management. These professionals understand the reasonable standard each hospital must attain predicated on a uniquely determined set of risks and needs. They are aware of industry benchmarks and best practices within the healthcare arena. These security professionals understand that security budgets are tight, waste cannot be tolerated and therefore security programs must be efficient and produce quantifiable results. They understand first-hand the devastating impact of an infant abduction, the molestation of a pediatric patient or the impact of a $23 million wrongful death lawsuit resulting from a patient homicide. These professionals understand how some hospitals suffer losses of property and assets at time exceeding $3500 per bed, per year. SMSI knows that effective security programs must be anticipatory and preventive.

A.   First, SMSI will conduct a thorough security assessment, including, but not limited to the following:

a.    Delineation of the local crime environment including threat assessment

                                        i.    Cap Index Report

                                      ii.    Local Crime Data

b.    Security review of all critical areas

                                        i.    Emergency Department

                                      ii.    HR

                                     iii.    Pharmacies

                                     iv.    Materials Management

                                      v.    Food Services

                                     vi.    Facilities

                                    vii.    Housekeeping

                                  viii.    Buildings and Grounds

                                     ix.    The Security Department

                                      x.    L & D and Postpartum

                                     xi.    Surgery

                                    xii.    Pediatrics

                                  xiii.    The Business Office

                                  xiv.    Psychiatric Units

                                    xv.    Medical Office Buildings

                                  xvi.    Purchasing

c.    Review of the application and use of security technology

d.    Review of vendor relationships

                                        i.    CCTV and alarm companies

                                      ii.    Guard services

                                     iii.    Computer based incident tracking

e.    The application of metrics

B.   Development of Training Programs to Shore up Deficiencies

C.   Development of a security management support plan

a.    Routine monthly onsite visits and/or as needed

b.    Online and telephonic support of in-house security management team

D.   Promulgation of a total hospital Security Awareness Program involving every employee

This outline lays out some of the primary components of the offering. It is important that each Security Management Support Program adapts to the special needs of each hospital and fits within the guidelines of each hospital’s mission statement. SMSI is able to work with in house security managers who may not have a great deal of security management experience by raising the quality of their work product through professional support.