Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1102201
MORE THAN ONE IN 10 PROPERT Y CRIMES OCCUR IN PARKING LOTS OR GAR AGES, ACCORDING TO THE BURE AU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS. THAT MAKES ENSURING THE SAFE T Y OF PATIENTS, VISITORS AND STAFF MEMBERS BEFORE THE Y E VEN ENTER THE DOORS OF A HE ALTHCARE FACILIT Y AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF OVER ALL SECURIT Y. "ONE OF THE most common complaints I hear is about parking lots — how they don't feel safe and no one likes parking out there," says John White, CPP, CHPA, President and CEO at Protection Management LLC, an Ohio-based security consulting organiza- tion "If parking isn't perceived as safe by employees, it won't be perceived as safe by patients or visitors coming into the hospital who are likely unfamiliar with the facility." When hospital officials are looking to design a safe parking lot or garage or to boost safety in existing facilities, early evaluation by outside security professionals who specialize in healthcare organizations is key, industry experts say. "We start with a risk assessment: What are the threats? What has occurred on the property in the past? How are the parking spots utilized?" says Tom Smith, CHPA, CPP, President and Principa l Consultant at North Carolina-based Hea lthcare Security Consultants Inc. "When someone calls me in for an evaluation after a project is complete, and we discover their facility doesn't adhere to regulations, it can take a lot of resources to fix." Those regulations include industry guidelines established by the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS). Increased security guard presence, as well as devices such as cameras and emergency call boxes, can be effective, particularly if the facility is in a high-crime area. However, a number of more affordable changes can also improve both the reality and perception of a facility's security. WAYFINDING AND SIGNAGE Increasing signage helps patients and visitors navigate directly to their destination, decreasing their chance of wandering into the wrong entry and reducing the unease of getting lost. "Every patient and visitor who comes onto the campus is going to have some level of anxiety or fear. We can minimize that by providing them with easy wayfinding, defined parking areas and ease of access to services," says Paul M. Sarnese, CHPA, MSE, CPM, Assistant Vice President for Safety, Security and Emergency Management at New Jersey-based Virtua Health and Member Cost-Effective Improvements to Hospital Parking Lot Security BY JENNA HAINES 1 4