Security remains a top priority for healthcare facilities and organizations both large and small. There are many obvious, and sometimes not so obvious, risks associated with operating a highly sensitive business like those in healthcare.
The various risks, or vulnerabilities, need to be understood, and solutions both considered and implemented. For the moment let’s focus on the five areas of potential risk all businesses face.
An easy way to consider potential risks is to think of them as the four P’s and one T – protecting people, physical security of entryways, physical security of records, physical security of drugs and training your staff.
Protecting people – People are the key to any good organization and ensuring both your team’s personal safety and that of your patients or clients is a perfect place to begin. Besides physical threats from various sources (an angry customer or a criminal targeting your facility), common workplace injuries or accidents can threaten any business by creating an unsafe work environment or the threat of legal liability.
Physical security of entryways – The focus is access to property, to lobbies or interiors of a facility, and even access to the private areas where patients are seen. Entryways that do not slow down potential intruders, or which do not come under observation by someone on your team can lead to an open environment that allows anyone to walk in, even if they have no business being on the property or in the building. Entry access is one of the most fundamental concerns to address.
Physical security of records – With stringent HIPPA regulations and guidelines already in place for the protection of records and patient data, understanding the risks to your patients’ information and your business records is a growing theme in the security industry. The risks of a cyber attack of any kind (malware, virus and intentional data mining) is very real.
Physical security of drugs – Besides protecting data, healthcare facilities face concerns of access and potential theft of their medical supply chains, and in facilities themselves, especially those that stock large supplies of medications and drugs. According to the DEA, for example, pharmacy thefts number more than 7,000 each year. Beyond theft, though, there are also risks to medications not stored properly or that require a continuous power supply for perishable supplies.
Training – If an organization does not consider training staff a top priority, then a risk will usually emerge. The kinds of training vary, but basics focus on monitoring entries, noting unusual behaviors, understanding threats when they appear. Training can also be specialized depending on the size of your facilities, hours of operation and the nature of the healthcare provided. Training comes from many sources, including the local police department, and it should be available to the entire team.
The best way to safeguard against risks is to understand the vulnerabilities and work to develop sound solutions to those concerns. Working with a firm like Sonitrol Great Lakes can give you and your organization a leg up on the competition when it comes to dealing with those risks.