NCH increases security at hospitals

Effective Monday, NCH implemented changes that increase security at all of its health campuses.

Now, you’ll only be able to enter through a single entrance during normal hours nand through the ER after hours.

All other doors will be secured, and only employees will be able to access them with badges.

In order to check in you’ll have to show photo ID. You’ll be issued an ID badge with an expiration time that you must wear visibly, so staff can see you’ve been checked in properly.

A woman waiting in line for the new identification said it took longer for her today, but many say added security is worth it.

“No problem at all. Good safety measure for everybody,” said patient Roger Pratt.

“That big shooting that happened in Broward—that was my daughter’s high school, so yeah I’m cool with security,” added visitor Jamie Wilson.

The Parkland school shooting triggered calls for more security in schools, but Security Director John Griffith says no particular incident spurred the changes at his hospital.

“It’s beginning to be a nationwide trend to do that in hospitals, so we felt it was time to do it here,” he said.

Before the changes, Griffith admits they didn’t keep track of the people coming in and out of the hospital throughout the day.

“We had no way to track our visitors. All of our employees, contractors, vendors had ID badges but visitors just came and went freely and we felt we needed to be able to identity who was in their building,” he said.

It also concerned former NCH volunteer manager Lauren Turner.

“I don’t know why they didn’t do it earlier. I’m just glad they finally did it,” she said.

Right now Lee Health has similar security measures, requiring check in and limited entry points.