Hugs System Adds New Security Layer to MRH Infant Patient Safety
| Date Posted: 3/5/2013
PINEHURST – FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has added a new layer of security to its Women & Children’s Services unit to help ensure the safety of its youngest patients.
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With Moore Regional’s Hugs infant protection system, the ankle of each newborn in the hospital nursery is encircled with a tamperproof strap holding a security tag that, when activated, is connected to a computer console displaying unit floor plans and showing tag locations. Alarms are generated if the strap is cut or tampered with, if the infant is moved to an unauthorized zone or if the tag’s signal is no longer detected. |
The hospital recently installed the Hugs infant protection system from Stanley Healthcare Solutions to safeguard infant patients from the threat of abduction.
“Infant protection systems provide an effective deterrent against the abduction of infants,” says Kendra Groff, R.N., administrative director of Women & Children’s Services at Moore Regional. “The Hugs system has been configured to operate in a number of ways that readily support our existing security systems.”
With the Hugs system, each infant wears a comfortable and unobtrusive tag that encircles the ankle by means of a soft tamperproof strap. A computer console displays floor plans of the unit showing tag locations with monitored areas and doors indicated. Alarms are generated if the strap is cut or tampered with, if the infant is moved to an unauthorized zone, or if the tag’s signal is no longer detected.
Once a tag is activated, the only way to remove a bracelet without generating an alarm is through authorized procedures. The system can be made to activate other devices. At Moore Regional, the system activates door locks and shuts down elevators.
The individually monitored tags enroll automatically when placed on an infant, and each tag sends a status signal to the main console to confirm its presence and functionality. If a signal is not received within a designated period, an alarm is generated.
The system performs automatic self-checks on all components and advises the staff of any problems.
“In the event of an attempted abduction, the Hugs system immediately informs security and nursing staff precisely where the alarm has occurred,” Groff says. “This information is vital in ensuring a quick response during an abduction attempt.”
System-generated reports of all tag activity can provide evidence about an abduction effort, and each infant is uniquely identified within all reports.
For more information on Women & Children’s Services at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, call (800) 213-3284.
