http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=771686 By Carol Mulligan The Sudbury Star November 11, 2007 Sudbury Regional Hospital officials insist security measures already in place at hospital sites are being strictly enforced as they search for ways to improve the safety of patients after last week's infant abduction at St. Joseph's Health Centre. But The Sudbury Star has uncovered a serious breach of existing security policy and reported it to the hospital's administration. Despite the fact hospital managers, employees and physicians at all four hospital sites have been repeatedly warned to wear their identification badges since Nov. 2, one hospital physician has failed to do so on two occasions. Sudbury Regional Hospital spokeswoman Viviane Lapointe told The Star on Friday that several memos have been issued to everyone concerned, reinforcing the requirement that anyone who works at the hospital must wear photo identification badges while they are on duty. "Our policy is, if you forget (your badge) at home, you are sent home to get it," Lapointe said late Friday morning. Several sessions at which new badges were issued have been held at all hospital sites since the Nov. 1 abduction of a day-old baby girl from her mother's room. Physicians' and nurses' schedules were taken into account when the photography sessions were booked. Despite the requirement and the hospital's insistence it is enforcing it, Star reporter Lara Bradley observed something unsettling just after 9 a.m. Friday. Bradley visited the maternity ward on the third-floor at the St. Joseph's site to obtain the names of infants born this week. The names of new arrivals are published every Monday in The Sudbury Star as a service to readers. Bradley was stopped by a security guard posted on the floor and asked to identify herself, which she did. She then witnessed an exchange between a man wearing green hospital scrubs and the security official. "The security guard asked whether he was a visitor or a staff member," said Bradley of the man who appeared to be a hospital employee. The man confirmed he worked at the hospital and the guard asked to see his identification. The man told the guard he had forgotten his ID badge, said Bradley. The man in scrubs invited the guard to accompany him to the stairwell, on his way out of the maternity area after the guard explained he didn't recognize the man's face. Bradley said she heard the man tell the guard: "Don't worry. You'll get used to me." Lapointe told The Star the employee identification policy has been rigidly enforced since last Friday. When told what Bradley had witnessed, Lapointe promised to investigate the exchange between the man in hospital garb and the security guard. "I appreciate that those incidents are being reported to us and we will follow up," said Lapointe. She also said "we would tell you that that is unacceptable," if such an incident had occurred. After checking into the complaint, Lapointe said it turned out the employee questioned by the security guard was a physician - the same physician who earlier in the week also forgot to wear his photo identity badge to work. She said the security guard recognized the man as a doctor after questioning him earlier in the week when he forgot his ID badge. But Bradley insists that is not what she heard. She stands by her report the security guard did not seem to recognize the man later identified as a physician. Lapointe said managers will be told again next week that anyone working at the hospital is to wear photo ID when on duty. The only exceptions are operating room staff who cannot wear their badges in common areas of the hospital for hygienic reasons. Lapointe said complaints about hospital workers not wearing identification that is readily visible will be taken seriously by the hospital and investigated. Meanwhile, Sudbury hospital officials are preparing a presentation to be given Tuesday evening to the hospital s board of directors on how security can be improved after last week's abduction. __________________________________________________________________ Visit InfoSec News http://www.infosecnews.org/
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