Visitors to the Brooks-TLC Hospital campus on Central Avenue in Dunkirk can expect to show a driver license, or some other form of government-issued I.D. at the screener desk upon entrance, as part of a recent upgrade to the facility’s security management system.
The system, launched two weeks ago, has been in the testing/trial phase during which issues were identified and corrective action taken in an ongoing effort to streamline the process for both visitors and hospital security screener personnel.
“As we moved to tighten security and improve accountability for the safety of our visitors, the upgrade to our visitor pass protocol was a necessity,” said Chuck Villafranca, Brooks-TLC’s director of plant operations and security. “While our previous visitor pass system served its purpose and gave us a count of how many visitors were in the hospital, this new electronic system provides a simple check-in process, ensures the safety of the data and enables us to identify, by name, each visitor and time of visit should an event occur where providing such information is necessary.
According to Villafranca, the process is similar to what other hospitals and providers’ offices have already introduced and will be relatively seamless, once visitors get used to needing their I.D. and having it out and ready to hand to the screener.
The new system features an electronic I.D. scanner and manual input keyboard on a tablet much like an iPad. Once visitors present their I.D. to the screener, it is scanned and a label with the visitor’s name, and date and time of visit is automatically printed for placement on the visitor’s shirt or jacket.
In the event a visitor does not have a license or other acceptable form of I.D., he or she must state his or her name and the screener will type it in using the manual keyboard. The visitor label process then works the same as if a visitor had presented a scannable I.D. Children will be entered manually and receive their own identifying label.
The Security Management System upgrade affects all visitors to the hospital campus, including the Emergency Department. All visitors must also wear a mask — covering their nose and mouth — for the duration of their visit, and as always, please use the ramp to the left upon entering the Outpatient Entrance.