by John Howser
With incidents of violence on the rise in U.S. health care facilities, robust control over physical access to buildings helps form the foundation of an effective and efficient security plan that enhances safety for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
After what began during the pandemic as necessary steps to control visitor access and ensure face masks were being worn, going forward, VUMC is choosing to keep most entrance points to its facilities secured in the same way they have been for the previous two-plus years.
Access monitors will continue to be present at designated entranceways to screen everyone entering Medical Center facilities.
“The safety and well-being of our workforce is our foremost priority. Keeping our entranceways secured is an important step toward making each facility as safe as possible. Even though the pandemic has subsided, our access monitors continue to play an important role in this process,” said John F. Manning Jr., PhD, MBA, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Chief of Staff.
Security is a part of everyone’s role at VUMC, and everyone should remain vigilant to help ensure a safe workplace. For example, if you see a door propped open, please remove the prop so the door can close and lock, or call the Vanderbilt University Police Department at 615-322-2745 to report a door being propped open. If you find a door that is not latching or closing properly, please report this to Facilities Management at 615-322-2041.
For security to be effective, everyone must do their part.