Huntington Hospital is adding new security measures – from new turnstiles to enhanced procedures – to ensure a safe and secure environment for patients, visitors and staff.
All visitors are required to present identification and wear a hospital-issued pass to enter the building while staffers must use their badge to report to work. Now visitors and employees alike will need to scan their badge to gain access through turnstiles. Visitors can receive a temporary badge from the main entrance information desk.
In addition, entrances to the emergency department and maternity unit can only be accessed through the same badge-scanning process as at the hospital’s main entrance. Each of the three entrances will possess a badge scanner where the barcode on the temporary ID that each visitor receives upon entering the hospital will activate the turnstile or doors, allowing the visitor to enter.
“To date, there have not be any significant security issues at Huntington Hospital,” said Randy Howard, vice president of operations at the hospital. “To help ensure that remains the case, we are taking additional security precautions that will continue to provide a safe environment for our patients, guests and staff.”
Huntington Hospital installed its visitor management identification system at the end of 2016, which issues temporary photo badges and tracks all visitors. The hospital also conducts drills with its staff and community emergency management agencies to maintain emergency preparedness.
The hospital plans to test the use of metal detectors at each of the entrances as a means to further improve
For more information about Huntington Hospital’s security, contact Patrick Ilnitzki, director of security, at 631-351-2523.