Spartanburg Regional Medical Center:
IDentiSMART™-wired Now to Secure the Future
 Once named one of the 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems in the United States by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine, Spartanburg Regional Medical Center (SRMC), SC, turned to IDenticard Systems -- a leading producer of biometric identification and access control systems -- to provide a security and access control solution that will help the medical center uphold its reputation as a cutting-edge facility.
With a new, five-story medical building and world-class Regional Emergency Center, SRMC wanted the most advanced security solution available. "We needed to invest in a system that was guaranteed to accommodate us now and for at least the next decade," said Phil Stott, security director, SMRC. "IDenticard covers it all."
The largest employer in Spartanburg County, SRMC is part of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, which also includes the Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care. Over the course of the next several months, SRMC plans to roll out the new access control system among its five separate, but connected buildings. Slated for installation first are the two million square-foot medical center and the recently constructed, 55,000 square-foot Emergency Center.
Designated as a Level One Trauma Center (one of only four in the state), the Emergency Center is uniquely qualified to handle the most serious of injuries. In fact, SRMC's innovative Emergency Center serves as a national model, attracting visits from healthcare industry leaders worldwide.
"Since the September 11th attack, disaster preparedness is a major focus of emergency care in hospitals across the nation," said Mr. Stott. SRMC's disaster response team has an area specifically designed to provide decontamination in the event of industrial accidents, chemical spills, or other bio-hazardous situations. It has self-contained rooms with all the specific gear needed to handle decontamination efforts. With IDentiPASS PLUS, we now have the ability to lock down immediately any or all areas of the medical center and even individual doors, as needed.
IDentiPASS PLUS, a fully integrated security solution from IDenticard, has enabled SRMC to join the increasing number of organizations worldwide to position themselves to benefit from the ongoing emergence of new applications for contactless smart card technology. When SRMC decided to update its system, SRMC's security information technology and information services departments spent eight months evaluating current needs and identifying long-term goals. During that process, it became clear the best solution for the growing medical center would include IDenticard's IDentiSMART -- an innovative contactless smart card solution for ID and smart cards and access control programs of all sizes.
SRMC was recently named one of Hospitals & Health Networks' 100 Most Wired hospitals and health systems, earning national recognition for the use of information technology (IT) as it applies to safety and quality, customer service, business processes, work force, and disaster readiness.
Like other Most Wired hospitals, SRMC has made a variety of investments in clinical systems. But their commitment to improving patient safety and quality also is reflected in their decisions regarding IT for security and access control. Their chosen clinical and security systems are easier to use, more reliable, flexible, and more powerful.
After learning they could install a contactless smart card system at a comparable cost to a traditional proximity system, SRMC administrators embraced the opportunity to do so, even though their immediate need for smart card technology was limited. "They realized it would be cost-effective, as well as efficient, to have everything in place to take advantage of the smart card's many applications as the need arises," said Matt Bader, president of MSI South Inc., the IDenticard Partner responsible for the design, installation, and maintenance of SRMC's new system. Eventually, the medical center intends to use IDentiSMART to track inventory, for network security for more than 2,000 PCs, and more. They also intend to incorporate the added security of biometrics into their solution.
SRMC's fully integrated system also includes IVIS Plus 2000, IDenticard's most advanced and powerful digital imaging solution. IVIS captures clean, sharp images that can be stored permanently in the system, along with signatures and security data for future use. "Our customized badges are printed on site, and updating and reissuing is a snap," said Mr. Stott.
According to Mr. Stott, the most anticipated aspects of the security system rollout is the integration of PASSPort powered by Ortega -- a cornerstone of the IDentiPASS family of premier access control solutions. This dynamic mapping module enables customers to monitor alarms, relays, doors, and alarm acknowledgements through a floor plan/graphic map interface. It is easy to access PASSPort through a standard web browser and the user can view live video from IP-addressable cameras, control pan-tilt-zoom live video, and link digital video recording action to system events and transactions.
I'd rather have PASSPort than a genie in a bottle, said Mr. Stott. "Ours is a huge complex. The ability to access and operate the system from any remote PC is invaluable. With PASSPort, we'll be immediately alerted to any alarm or critical situation anywhere on campus, with a map for pinpointing its precise location."
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