Expert Witness Blog
In Sustaining Hospital Security Programs in an Environment of Decreasing Reimbursables & Increasing Demand for Services, security management expert witness William H. Nesbitt, CPP, writes that “many hospitals are facing a decrease in reimbursables, and sometimes, in an environment of increasing demand. When budgets get tight, unfortunately, security budgets become a target for belt tightening, sometimes at the expense on increasing liability. There are practical solutions to these challenges, but these solutions must be situationally determined because security is a situational discipline.”
The most logical first step is an objective assessment of your security program. Every security program is unique and should be driven by need. Security is a situational discipline which means that no two security programs are alike, nor should they be. We frequently find relatively good security programs that are none-the less inefficient and lacking in cost-effectiveness. The goal should be to do more, with less. The security assessment becomes the foundational basis for all that follows.
We believe there are two primary opportunities for cost savings for most hospital security programs, along with secondary options to further reduce costs. First, the application of CPTED (Crime Prevention Thought Environmental Design) and the application of technology, such as smart video with outsource monitoring. Applying CPTED strategies helps to ensure that the security program is truly synergistic and supported by all employees. CPTED has been around for many years, but not taken advantage. However the attack of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995 and the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center caused security professional to look a broader based security strategies. As a result, CPTED principals are more in play than ever before.
Additionally, networked based security systems, especially video have had a substantial favorable impact on security budgets. Second, is the application of emerging technology such as smart video. In recent years technology has gotten better, and at the same time, less costly.
Clearly the security needs of hospitals have evolved since 1755, and continue to evolve to this day. Several years ago we had the privilege of working with Pennsylvania Hospital, one of the most unique challenges and most gratifying experiences we have ever encountered.
In recent years the outsourcing of security management has become an emerging trend. However, hospitals have outsourced departmental management for years for departments such as dietary, housekeeping, pharmacy, and facilities, to name a few. We believe that when it comes to outsourcing security management, the providing contractor should not have any conflicts of interest such as being a contract guard service provider.
Bill Nesbitt, who is a Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and the President of Security Management Services International, Inc., has been providing Security Litigation Support Services as a Security Expert Witness to law firms across the United States for more than 35 years.