Palmetto Health Richland, a prominent medical facility in Columbia, South Carolina, stands as one of the most advanced hospitals in the Southeast. Recognized as one of four Level 1 Trauma Centers in the state, the facility offers comprehensive in-patient and out-patient services at its Columbia campus, which includes Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, the Children's Hospital, and the Heart Hospital.
These buildings are safeguarded by a card-based access control system that manages entry and exit into restricted or sensitive areas. This system extends to general employee areas, equipment closets, telecom rooms, and IT spaces. Responsibility for the master access control keys, which provide entry to any secured location in the hospital, rests with the hospital’s Security Services.
Card Access System Challenges
The process of tracking the distribution and usage of master keys had become a significant security concern for Palmetto Health Richland. According to Henry Simons, Director of Security and Volunteer Services, the existing manual procedure was ineffective and burdensome. Both engineering and security stakeholders lacked a robust monitoring mechanism for these keys.
Both engineering and security stakeholders lacked a robust monitoring mechanism for these keys
“We really needed a system that would allow us to hold individuals accountable for a key and thereby lessen the risk of our master system being compromised,” said Mr. Simons. “The existing manual system was simply too ineffective and labor intensive and we needed better control of our master keys.”
Implementing Morse Watchmans Solutions
In pursuit of an improved key management solution, Mr. Simons chose Morse Watchmans, a company already integrated into the hospital’s security operations with their PowerCheck® Guard Tour System.
This system, designed with multiple tour capabilities, integrates functions and provides comprehensive reporting options. The system facilitates officers through strategically placed stations, recording time as they pass by and enabling immediate incident reporting through standardized codes.
Key Control System Integration
This system offers secure storage for master keys and documents each access transaction
To address the key management issues specifically, the hospital adopted the Morse Watchmans KeyWatcher® key control system for the security and engineering departments. This system offers secure storage for master keys and documents each access transaction with details such as user identity, date, and time of checkout or return.
Only authorized individuals can access the KeyWatcher cabinet, using a two-step process involving an authorized code and a card access identification badge swipe. This ensures that only those with proper authorization can retrieve keys, maintaining accountability and safeguarding key integrity.
safeguarding key integrity
“We were able to custom tailor the system to our needs which was very important,” said Mr. Simons. “In addition to the two-step entry process, the system is also designed to send an email alert if a key is not returned as scheduled.” The integration of the KeyWatcher system with the existing card access framework enables real-time activity monitoring when the cabinet is accessed, and the data contributes to broader security reports, providing a comprehensive overview for analysis or further investigation.
As Palmetto Health Richland continues to expand its services, Mr. Simons anticipates that the Morse Watchmans KeyWatcher system will evolve to meet future demands.
Palmetto Health Richland is a state of the art medical facility, located in Columbia, South Carolina. It is one of the largest and most progressive hospitals in the Southeast and is designated as one of only four Level 1Trauma Centers in the State. Palmetto Health Richland provides in-patient and out-patient services at its Columbia campus, which includes Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, Children’s Hospital and Heart Hospital.
These hospitals and the other buildings on the campus are equipped with a card-based access control system that controls entry and exit activity to restricted or sensitive areas.
Card access system
The card system is also used for access to general employee areas, equipment closets, telecom rooms, IT closets and more. A set of master access control keys allow entry to any of the areas secured by the card access system and the hospital’s Security Services is responsible for provisioning these master keys.
Keeping track of who has issued a master key and when/where it was used or returned had become a significant security issue for the hospital. According to Henry Simons, Director of Security and Volunteer Services for Palmetto Health, both engineering and security were stakeholders in the operational process but neither had an effective procedure for controlling or monitoring the master keys.
Multiple tour capabilities
“We really needed a system that would allow us to hold individuals accountable for a key and thereby lessen the risk of our master system being compromised,” said Mr. Simons. “The existing manual system was simply too ineffective and labor intensive and we needed better control of our master keys.”
Mr. Simons’ search for a key control and management solution led him directly to Morse Watchmans, a company with whom he was already familiar. Morse Watchmans PowerCheck® Guard Tour System with its multiple tour capabilities, integrated functions and reporting options was in place as an established element of the hospital’s security operation. The Guard Tour System works with stations that are set up around the facility; as the officer walks by with the Guard Tour handheld device, the system reads and records the time. The device can be programmed to prompt either sequential or random tours for the officers, and the officer can enter a standardized code at any station to report incidents instantly.
Key control system
To resolve the hospital’s key control and management issues, Palmetto Health Richland selected the Morse Watchmans KeyWatcher® key control system for installation in the security and engineering departments. The system safely stores the master keys and automatically records the access history of each transaction, including user, date and time of checkout/return.
The KeyWatcher cabinet can only be opened by individuals who have been pre-programmed into the system. To open the cabinet and access a key, the individual enters their authorized code and swipes their card access identification badge on the built-in proximity reader. By releasing assigned keys only to users with the proper authorization code and permission, accountability is ensured, along with safekeeping and integrity of the master keys.
Proper authorization code
“We were able to custom tailor the system to our needs which was very important,” said Mr. Simons. “In addition to the two-step entry process, the system is also designed to send an email alert if a key is not returned as scheduled. We were also able to integrate the KeyWatcher system with our card access system so any time the KeyWatcher cabinet is accessed; the activity pops up on the screen. The data from the KeyWatcher is also folded into the reports produced by the card access system to give us a complete picture for analysis or follow-up investigation.”
Palmetto Health Richland is continually growing and expanding its services and Mr. Simons fully expects that the Morse Watchmans KeyWatcher system will grow right along with them.
