Hospital and healthcare campuses have hundreds or even thousands of physical keys in use across their facilities. These keys control access to a variety of valuable assets including medical equipment, medication, staff belongings, vehicles, patients, and beyond. Therefore, keys are assets that need proper security and protection.

The Morse Watchmans KeyWatcher Touch with TrueTouch™ software ensures physical keys are only accessible by those with the proper permissions. Using the KeyWatcher Touch, campus security and facilities administrators can access data to assign users, track key usage, locate keys, schedule automatic reports, and set up alerts when a key is overdue. Such capabilities unlock new benefits for healthcare campuses, including:

1. Enhanced Asset Management

All hospitals are subject to theft, physical violence, medical malpractice, cybersecurity, and compliance infractions. Typically, assets are stored behind locked doors, hence the need for physical keys. But keys can also be easily stolen, and even authorized personnel can misuse permissions, again leaving assets at risk. The problem then arises, how do you know who accessed these assets and when?

The KeyWatcher Touch prevents risk by expediting the management of all physical keys on a healthcare campus. Not only are keys stored in a secure location for access only by those with proper permissions, but administrators across campus can access data from the key control system to determine what keys are out, who has them, and when they are due for return.

2. Increased Efficiencies

There are inefficiencies related to traditional physical key access that hospital administrators need to consider. Healthcare campuses are vast and key management is often centralized, making the pick-up and return of keys time-consuming for staff. Similarly, if one key is required by two staff members at the same time, there is no way for the waiting staff member to know where the key is, who has it, and when it will return.

The KeyWatcher Touch system resolves key access inefficiencies though a variety of purpose-driven modules, software, and accessories. Modular and expandable, KeyWatcher Touch can be installed at multiple locations across a campus while on the same network, meaning employees can pick up a key at one location and drop it off at another. Alerts show and tell whether a key is overdue or missing, and auditable key tracking makes lost or stolen keys obsolete.

3. Risk Mitigation for Fleet Vehicles

Healthcare fleets include ambulances, patient transport vehicles, and other emergency vehicles. These vehicles are a valuable investment and operate in a fast-paced environment, where key theft and loss are a concern. Drivers also must be able to act quickly and access keys at a moment’s notice. When fleet vehicle keys become lost or stolen, cost to replace keys, reprogram an ignition system, or recover a stolen vehicle are substantial. Healthcare fleets also need management of service issues, vehicle rotation, optimization, and utilization.

Based on KeyWatcher Touch key control technology, the KeyWatcher Fleet offers key control and fleet management software in one system. The KeyWatcher Fleet ensures that only the vehicle drivers can access fleet keys, particularly when all drivers are off-site on a job. With real-time updates, administrators always will know where all vehicle keys and their owners are located. Additionally, the Morse Watchmans Smarts™ software for the KeyWatcher Fleet allows configuration of fleets by lowest mileage, most fuel, priority, first in/first out and the creation of customized fleet policies.

With staff, patients, visitors, vendors, and students moving throughout a healthcare campus every day, it is important that physical keys do not get lost or stolen in the shuffle. KeyWatcher products can be integrated with other access control systems and are industry favorites among security professionals around the world, assisting in minimizing risk and improving the customer experience in hospitals.

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