Technology helps boost security and care at Florida health system

Lee Memorial Hospital improved quality of care when it replaced or upgraded several cameras as part of a systemwide modernization project.

Image courtesy of Lee Health

Security has always been a high priority for Lee Health, which manages health care facilities across Florida. With more than 13,000 employees and 4,500 volunteers, the organization is one of the largest medical providers in the state. More than 1 million patients are treated at Lee Health facilities each year, and the organization aims to greet each of them with a secure and welcoming environment.

Keeping patients, staff and caregivers safe is an essential part of Lee Health’s mission — and modern video analytics have helped make that mission easier than ever.

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Implementing solutions for health care safety

A few years ago, Lee Health began the process of modernizing its surveillance system, replacing older analog cameras with high-definition-quality internet protocol cameras throughout its facilities. The organization replaced or upgraded more than 1,100 cameras in just under two years, along with a wide range of new hardware and software solutions designed to not only improve safety conditions, but quality of care and compliance standards as well.

The ability to monitor interactions between patients and their caregivers has helped ensure that patients are being given an appropriate degree of attention and care, and new analytics have helped keep an eye on patients who may pose a danger to themselves or others. Rather than paying individuals to sit in the rooms of high-risk patients to keep an eye on them, facilities can now rely on technology to monitor those patients in real time.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, other benefits became clear — such as the ability to ensure that staff members properly adhere to health and safety standards, including the use of personal protective equipment. The upgrades also made it easier to monitor entrances, exits and other access points to prevent unauthorized ingress and egress.

From top to bottom, the installation of modern, analytics-enabled cameras has allowed Lee Health to provide peace of mind for patients and staff, improve quality of care and operational efficiency, and ease vulnerability concerns — clear wins for all involved.