Security in Healthcare: Building a More Consistent Approach

Healthcare organizations have relied on standardized clinical protocols and processes to support consistency, quality, and patient safety. As health systems have expanded and become more complex, many are also applying standardized approaches to non-clinical services, including physical security. As health systems grow and change, standardization can help bring greater alignment to security in healthcare.

Across multiple locations and care settings, a consistent security program can help improve coordination, streamline operations, and create a more unified approach across the organization. Health systems can also experience cost efficiencies, increased value, and more streamlined security operations, contributing to a positive overall experience for patients, staff, and visitors.

Here are five ways standardization can support a more coordinated healthcare security system.

1. Improve Consistency Across Locations

Managing multiple security providers can result in different procedures, training standards, and service expectations from one facility to another. Standardizing security services under a coordinated program can help establish greater consistency across hospitals, outpatient facilities, and other care environments.

Common protocols, training and performance expectations, and shared best practices can also help security teams and healthcare staff work together more effectively.

2. Support Operational Efficiency

A centralized security program can help healthcare organizations simplify vendor management, reduce administrative complexity, and identify opportunities for greater efficiency.

For health systems with multiple facilities, standardization can also make it easier to align staffing, reporting, technology, and other security resources with organizational priorities.

3. Strengthen the Patient and Staff Experience

Security professionals often interact with patients, visitors, and staff throughout the healthcare environment. Consistent training can help support a professional, welcoming experience while maintaining awareness of potential security concerns.

This approach can also reinforce clear communication, customer service, and response procedures across locations.

4. Support a More Coordinated Approach to Workplace Violence

Workplace violence remains a critical concern for healthcare organizations. Standardized policies, training, reporting, and response protocols can help teams understand their roles, strengthen preparedness, and support a more coordinated approach to prevention and response. 

Allied Universal® safety programs can support healthcare organizations in developing coordinated approaches that can help mitigate risk for staff, patients, and visitors.  

5. Scale Security Programs as Health Systems Grow

Healthcare organizations continue to expand across acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, ambulatory and surgical centers, outpatient locations, and other care settings.

A standardized security model can help growing health systems maintain shared expectations while allowing programs to adapt to the needs of individual facilities. It can also give leadership great visibility into security priorities and potential gaps across the organization. 
 

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Building a More Consistent Security Program

Standardization does not mean every healthcare facility requires the same security approach. Each location has its own environment, risks, and operational needs. The goal is to create a common framework while allowing security strategies to adapt to each location. 

Allied Universal works with healthcare facilities and hospitals to support tailored security programs that address the changing needs of security in healthcare, combining security professionals, technology, and professional services based on each organization’s specific needs.

 

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