One of the issues involved in providing sound security to healthcare facilities is frankly, the cost. Most administrators would prefer to use funds directly for patient care and not ancillary services. The presenter coined a phrase a number of years ago that is still validity which is security is incident driven. As a reaction to this it is necessary to develop proactive measures to prevent and or mitigate security incidents.

The need to provide for a safe and secure environment is however essential for a number of reasons. These include and emphasis by The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO), OSHA and various state mandates. More practically, it is the right thing to do. Security incidents or failures can also result in significant litigation and the loss of public trust, and subsequently business for the organization.

Healthcare security programs vary in complexity based upon the size and scope of the organization. The presenter believes healthcare security programs should be reasonable, appropriate, cost-effective and defensible. As a consultant in over 300 healthcare facilities in 43 states plus the District of Columbia, the reviewer has observed many programs, or at least components, that create Best-Practices in the area of security. This program will discuss a variety of areas including; security risks, access control issues, security models, staffing and deployment, security equipment, electronic security systems, security and staff training, and response to terrorism and emergency management situations. These can be assessed by the attendees to implement opportunities for improvement to best meet their needs.