Hospital Council Launches Security Technology Evaluation Program
The Partners Security Council, comprised of security directors from each of the eight Partners Healthcare hospitals, has launched the Healthcare Security Center of Excellence (HSCOE). The HSCOE seeks to test and evaluate new and emerging security technology, provide constructive feedback to manufacturers regarding their products and to develop technology guidelines and standards for member institutions.
The product manufacturers will have the opportunity for their products to be piloted in a healthcare facility while receiving feedback and input from the end user. The member institutions can evaluate products for their quality, appropriateness and interoperability with other systems. Ultimately, this collaboration may result in security products that are tailored for the healthcare environment.
The HSCOE will utilize resources already in place during its implementation stage. “The Center of Excellence will be run using the existing resources of the Partners Security Council. Any expenses associated with the pilot will be borne by the product manufacturer,” said Bonnie Michelman, Director of Police, Security & Outside Services at Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners Security Council Chair.
Members of the council will work together to evaluate technologies and determine if they are appropriate for a pilot in one or more of the Partners hospitals. Products that are approved for piloting with the HSCOE will then be examined more closely for safety, privacy and legal issues that they may pose. The product manufacturer is responsible for installing, maintaining and un-installing the product and the costs associated with these processes. A pilot program license agreement will help to ensure that the expectations of the HSCOE are set forth clearly in writing prior to the initiation of the pilot.
Further, the HSCOE will be a safe environment for manufacturers to vet their products. The findings of the HSCOE pilots will not be released outside of the Partners Security Council members. “We don’t want the manufacturer to be concerned about a failed pilot being publicized by the Center of Excellence. That’s why we decided to keep the pilot results within our security council. It provides a level of comfort for the manufacturer where they can test out a new product without fear of spoiling future sales opportunities,” said Phil Stewart, Director of Security at North Shore Medical Center.
The idea behind the HSCOE was the result of a collaboration between healthcare security and airport/seaport security. “The MassPort Corporate Security team was instrumental in helping us understand the concept, as well as giving us the tools and support to form our own Center of Excellence,” said David Corbin, Director of Police, Security, Safety & Parking at Faulkner Hospital.
While Partners Security Council members will be actively seeking technologies for pilot programs, they also want to encourage manufacturers to contact them with information on new and emerging security technology. Inquiries about the HSCOE should be directed to David Corbin, Director of Police, Security, Safety & Parking at Faulkner Hospital. He can be reached via phone at 617-983-7432 or via E-mail at dcorbin1@partners.org.
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