CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Atrium Health announced new system-wide security measures on Wednesday.
In the next few months, all visitors will have to stop at the reception desk at every facility to check-in and get a name badge. Behavioral Health-Charlotte, Behavioral Health-Davidson and the emergency department at Carolinas Medical Center will also get metal detectors.
“Our goal driving this work is simple – to keep the people in our care, and the people providing that care, safe,” said Maureen Swick, senior vice president and system nurse executive and executive in charge of Atrium Health security operations.
The healthcare organization will also add more armed security officers in the hopes of having one on every shift at many locations.
Other changes at Atrium Health include:
- Reducing access points into facilities by 45 percent
- Training nearly 9,000 teammates in de-escalation techniques, personal safety and security-aware behaviors and active assailant awareness
- Activating an emergency mass notification system to give employees real-time emergency information on their smartphones
“Ensuring the safety and security of everyone who walks through our doors is a responsibility we take very seriously. We are continuously analyzing healthcare security trends and listening to feedback from our patients and teammates with the goal of making our facilities a leader in security and one of the safest places in our communities," Swick said.
