Kyle Cusson

Part 3 of our Security in Healthcare series Megapixel and higher-definition cameras are meeting the security and surveillance needs of a variety of hospital and healthcare facilities Video is a major component of most hospital and healthcare security systems. Among the big video trends are greater integration of video with other systems, and increased use of higher-megapixel cameras and 180-degree and 360-degree-view cameras to monitor larger areas. Variety Of Video Applications Arecont Vision is seeing a growing number of video applications for healthcare providers. Commonly protected with Arecont Vision megapixel surveillance cameras, integrated with a video management system or a network video recorder of the customer’s choice, is coverage of: Entrances and exists to buildings, grounds, parking structures, car parks, and facilities Office areas, emergency rooms, nursing stations, treatment centers, clinics, operating rooms, procedure rooms, operating rooms, morgues, patient wards Pharmacies, drug storage areas, records storage, store rooms, laundry Public areas, reception, lobbies, hallways, cafeterias, kitchens, retail areas Protection from slip-and-fall, workman’s compensation, malpractice, lawsuits, and other litigation and compliance Perimeter, parking surveillance and license plate recognition Facial recognition, people counting, movement monitoring Access control and staff identification Visitor, patient, and staff safety Megapixel and higher-definition cameras are meeting the security and surveillance needs of a variety of hospital and healthcare facilities. “Due to the resolution provided by Arecont Vision’s megapixel cameras, and the deployment of several panoramic cameras, we have easily expanded our coverage capabilities using fewer cameras with outstanding results,” says Paul M. Sarnese, System Safety Direct, Virtua Health in New Jersey. “The performance of our new surveillance systems has helped us to improve overall security. It has been a win-win situation for Virtua.” Addressing Accountability Sacred Health Health System, Pensacola, Florida, uses Arecont Vision megapixel cameras as part of a video surveillance system to look for recorded video of suspicious persons after a description is given, says Michael J. Matroni, Emergency Preparedness and Security Manager, “We are also using it to review slip-and-fall complaints, and to address issues of employee accountability.” “Arecont Vision cameras more than satisfy our requirements for image quality,” says Lai Voon Hon, General Director of Hoa Lam-Sangri-La, a high-tech healthcare park in Vietnam. “The system is working very well for us.” The International Hi-Tech Healthcare Park will be the first integrated healthcare development in Vietnam to provide a comprehensive healthcare environment employing high-tech medical equipment and a professional medical staff. “Our new video surveillance system is an important element of that environment,” says Lai Voon Hon. Hospitals and healthcare facilities that have multiple sites and locations can benefit from centralizing all video on a single platform Centralizing Video Onto A Single Platform One Pelco customer is the University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus (UAMC South Campus). When adding a new behavioral health hospital tower, UAMC South Campus sought to migrate and expand its existing analog video surveillance system to an IP system that would allow the capabilities of multisite monitoring. Using Pelco’s Endura IP video management system (VMS) with NSM5200 network video recorders, the hospital system was able to centralized all video onto a single platform while allowing several operators to simultaneously look for and view video of daily events. In addition, more than 150 Sarix and Sarix with SureVision technology IP cameras were deployed throughout the new tower, emergency room and most entrances and exits. The open platform concept that Pelco offers can help ensure that existing technology can be incorporated when adding onto existing infrastructure Other hospitals and healthcare facilities that have multiple sites and locations can benefit from the kind of technology used at UAMC South Campus – especially using the latest VMS technology VideoXpert and Pelco’s latest IP camera technology, Optera, which offers 180-, 270- and 360-degree views. Additionally, the open platform concept that Pelco offers can help ensure that existing technology can be incorporated when building a new building or adding onto existing infrastructure. Pelco by Schneider Electric is focused on the development of video surveillance and security solutions for enterprise-class organizations that allow users to make real-time, business-enabling decisions. Pelco offers video management platforms, industry-leading IP cameras and accessories, and other video security products and open platform systems that healthcare facilities require to bring multiple sites and locations together into a single, holistic approach to security. Multi-sensor Panoramic View Cameras When Arecont Vision pioneered multi-sensor megapixel cameras with their first offerings in 2006, they were alone in the market in presenting these in place of pan-tilt-zooms (PTZs) and multiple individual cameras Over the past year, the industry has seen many legacy camera vendors offer their own 180- or 360- multi-sensor cameras to try and gain market traction. “Competition is always good, and our own fifth generation SurroundVideo cameras will get even better as a result,” says Jeff Whitney, Arecont Vision’s Vice President of Marketing. “Most importantly for healthcare overall, users will see affordable solutions that don’t require multiple analog cameras and PTZs as in the past, and understanding of the benefits of multi-sensor cameras will accelerate. PTZs are a legacy technology just as analog cameras and fisheye lenses are in many situations.” "Most importantly for healthcare overall, users will see affordable solutions that don’t require multiple analog cameras and PTZs as in the past" Multi-sensor megapixel camera technology is the way of the future to keep costs down, reduce the numbers of cameras required, shrink maintenance costs, and improve quality and video coverage for healthcare, says Whitney. Pelco is also seeing an increase in use of 180-, 270- and 360-degree camera technology to cover a larger area, such as a large waiting room or corridor, or a parking garage. The technology in these cameras allow users to pan, tilt and zoom virtually within the picture to pinpoint an incident in real-time or retrospectively. Additionally, there is a significant uptick in violence within healthcare facilities, so it’s imperative that a comprehensive video surveillance system is in place to help identify potential problem areas or threats to the safety and security of patients, healthcare workers, visitors and staff of these large facilities. This can be done through open platform technology that works seamlessly with other cameras, video management systems, alarm monitoring systems and access control, says Kyle Cusson, Business Development Manager, Healthcare, Pelco by Schneider Electric. 360-degree Analytics Jumbi Edulbehram, Regional President, Americas, Oncam, also expects 360-degree cameras to expand their uses in the healthcare realm.  “Another major development will be the use of analytics, built into the 360-degree cameras, being used to help monitor traffic patterns, streamline hospital operations, increase response times and provide overall, general business intelligence for hospital administrators on ways they can improve operations and management of these facilities,” says Edulbehram. “Using analytics, the possibilities are nearly endless for how patients, staff and visitors can be better served.” A role that is sometimes overlooked is the growing importance of mobility for security officers in the healthcare vertical. “These facilities – more than ever – need to find ways to deploy effective, yet cost-aware, solutions to protect critical assets, staff, visitors and patients,” says Edulbehram. “Remote monitoring has become mainstream, and mobile applications are growing in popularity because they enable users to fully experience surveillance through 360 degrees, in full high definition from a smartphone or tablet.” The ability of officers to remain mobile while also accessing video on the go offers new flexibility that is critical to the success of any security solution, he says. There is a wealth of untapped information within the departments and offices of hospital perimeters that can be analysed to improve security strategy Expanding How Video Is Used In Healthcare With technology improving and prices decreasing, video solutions can even be used for purposes beyond traditional security. For example, video analytics are now being leveraged for patient tracking, asset tracking, and operational purposes, and captured video can be used to defend against liability claims. What’s next? Video analytics will continue to be a valuable addition to any surveillance infrastructure due to its ability to address patient needs, operational efficiencies and early risk detection, says Brandon Reich, Senior Director of Surveillance Solutions, Pivot3. Additionally, IT innovations will drive continued technology investment – hyperconvergence and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deliver new levels of cost saving and opportunities for efficiencies, he says. For example, a VDI environment can automatically lock users out of a device after three minutes of inactivity or if they have swiped into a different workstation. Additionally, VDI drives mobility, allowing medical staff to roam from environment to environment to improve patient care and hospital operations. Video analytics are now being leveraged for patient tracking, asset tracking, and operational purposes, and captured video can be used to defend against liability claims As in hospitals and healthcare facilities, the world of video analytics is gaining ground in vertical markets such as retail, government and corporate enterprise applications, says Steve Birkmeier, VP of Sales and Business Development, Arteco. “There is a wealth of untapped information within the many departments and offices of hospital perimeters that can be analyzed to improve security strategy in the future,” he says. Video Event Management Software Through video event management software (VEMS), hospitals can customize the statistics that are relevant to their individual buildings or campuses without having to spend extra time or money on rigorous employee training. Furthermore, once healthcare facilities are able to digitise all of their patient records, secure any of their ingress and egress points with real-time access control security updates, and fully transition from analog to IP video surveillance cameras, VEMS systems that house analytical software will be able to multiply the benefits offered to hospitals, not just in real time, but in planning ahead for future risk, expansion and safety protocols. Recording images in high resolutions (megapixels and gigapixels) is becoming more and more important in healthcare as well, says Jason Ouellette, Product Line Director – Access Control, Tyco Security Products.  If an incident occurs in a medical facility, the security staff has to be able to identify faces easily and accurately. Storage and costs have to be considered, of course. “At Tyco Security Products, we are making smart solutions that use native analytics and intelligence to help security operators determine when they need to record video and have that top quality image. It’s a cost-effective way to use high-resolution imaging,” he says. Read Part 4 of our Security in Healthcare series here

 Part 2 of our Security in Healthcare series Users need to be able to upgrade in a way that fits with both their securityneeds and their budgetary limitations The future is digital, and analog systems are a thing of the past – or are they? The fact is, in the healthcare vertical at least, we may still have a way to go before the full potential of IP-based systems is realized. Obstacles include a lack of funding and the challenge of sharing IP bandwidth with other healthcare technologies. Bandwidth Competition While many hospitals have invested significantly in IP systems, one challenge is bandwidth: Security and video systems often have to compete for bandwidth with other now-IT-driven systems in healthcare facilities, such medical records systems, x-ray systems and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Security departments may not be the highest priority when allotting bandwidth, given they are competing with medical devices and systems that generate revenue. As a video company that serves the healthcare vertical, Pelco by Schneider Electric sees progress on the transition from analog to IP video surveillance devices, but there are still a large number of healthcare facilities that do not have the necessary funds to convert completely to an IP-heavy infrastructure. A big advantage of these facilities making the transition to IP is that users can access real-time video at any time from any computer, anywhere, says Kyle Cusson, Business Development Manager, Healthcare, Pelco. “This is immensely important for information security requirements and disaster recovery,” he says. With analog, the information gathered is physically tethered to the camera and DVR. However, there are hybrid solutions – such as encoders that convert analog to IP – that exist and allow facilities to capitalize on existing investments for the time being. IP To Gain Ground Soon “Over the next five years, we will definitely see a massive shift to IP solutions because they are becoming more cost-effective to deploy and are delivering superior video quality and flexibility to users,” says Cusson.  The transition isn’t always all-or-nothing. It is not uncommon for healthcare providers to depend upon outdated, analog-based video systems with limited capabilities while providing surveillance of a large facility, says Jeff Whitney, Arecont Vision’s Vice President of Marketing. “The transition happens after a major incident or awareness of new risks and challenges that the existing systems cannot address,” he adds. “That’s when surveillance technology is often moved from inadequate analog systems to IP megapixel surveillance cameras.” A big advantage of healthcare facilities making the transition to IP is easy access ofreal-time video any time from any computer Arecont Vision SurroundVideo Arecont Vision, a provider of video to the healthcare market, delivers megapixel surveillance cameras that reduce the cost of surveillance while increasing video coverage, improving aesthetics, and delivering high-definition (HD) video. Customers are able to continue to get value from their existing analog systems in some cases, while supplementing them with modern digital network-based video surveillance systems until existing systems reach their end of life, Whitney says. The network-based system can then replace the legacy analog system fully. Whitney notes that Arecont Vision’s SurroundVideo multi-sensor megapixel cameras replace multiple PTZs and fixed cameras while providing improved video coverage at a lower cost, and the system is less intrusive than the analog systems they replace. “In new projects, most customers already have chosen to deploy IP network surveillance camera technology and gain all of the benefits and improved security immediately,” says Whitney. Cost-To-Benefit Analysis  “We have seen the transition from analog to IP become most complete in regards to display, with digital monitors almost completely replacing analog monitors,” says Jumbi Edulbehram, Regional President, Americas, Oncam, which provides a broad range of 360-degree fisheye cameras and integration software to the healthcare vertical. “That’s where it really ends.” He says many hospitals and healthcare facilities have found the idea of an IP transition both cost-prohibitive and difficult to deploy. There has been some investment in relatively inexpensive decoders, which convert analog to IP. “Cost is definitely a factor in the resistance we’re seeing in these facilities, but as the technology is developed further, that will help drive the cost down,” says Edulbehram. New adoptions take time, and there will be a long period when different technologies co-exist, says Robert Laughlin, President, Galaxy Control Systems, which provides access control systems ranging from single-door systems up to multi-site enterprise-level integrated systems. For this reason, it will continue to be essential that new software and systems are backwards-compatible with the existing equipment in place within organizations. Users need to be able to upgrade in a way that fits with both their security needs and their budgetary limitations. Access control systems such as Galaxy’s will continue to be integrated with a range of systems, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to every access need, Laughlin says. New adoptions take time, and there will be a long period when differenttechnologies co-exist in the healthcare market Networked Physical Access Control System Many healthcare institutions also want a path to IP-based physical access control system (PACS) solutions that are easier to operate, and that simplify expansion, customization and integration with other solutions that can share the same network, says Sheila Loy, Director Healthcare Strategies, North America, HID Global, provider of comprehensive healthcare security solutions to create a safe, compliant environment for patients and employees. Networked access control simplifies infrastructure enhancements and modifications because hardware platforms aren’t tied to proprietary software, she notes. It’s also easier to add wireless locksets that connect with the online access control system, thus reducing wiring costs and eliminating the problems of easy-to-lose keys while providing near-online and near-real-time control of the opening. IP-based solutions also provide a single, integrated system for combining security, access control, video surveillance and incident response, perimeter detection and alarm monitoring systems. Hospitals can invest in a single, unified IP network, and logically control multiple technologies that previously co-existed only on a physical level. Plus, they can leverage their existing credential investment to seamlessly add logical access control for network log-on, and achieve a full interoperable, multi-layered security solution across company networks, systems and facilities. Analog Or IP Debate – A Thing Of The Past? "We will not only continue to seemore security devices on thenetwork, but we will also start tosee more cutting-edge medicaltechnology and equipment thatis network-capable" Other manufacturers see analog in the healthcare vertical as largely a thing of the past. Camera technology has advanced so far and so fast that the analog or IP debate is really a thing of the past, says Dave Ella, AMAG Technology’s Vice President of Product Marketing. “The question now is how quickly budgets will allow for the transition to newer technology,” Ella says. Hospitals benefit from higher resolutions (available with IP cameras), which can identify individuals and license plate numbers. Almost all AMAG healthcare customers are integrating their video to their access control system, which vastly speeds up response to security incidents as they unfold. Brandon Reich, Senior Director of Surveillance Solutions, Pivot3, agrees. Today, virtually all new installations are IP, he says. There are a number of organizations that still deploy analog into large installed bases, though most have converted to IP by this point. In some cases, the rise of HD analog video has extended the usable life of installed analog systems, but by 2020, Reich expects the market to be vast majority IP. Pivot3 hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) solutions for video surveillance provide a high level of protection against liabilities related to lost video. The Future Belongs To Network-Capable Medical Technology “In the security industry, we have seen the transition from analog to IP systems take place over the course of several years, and it is debatable whether or not that transition is complete,” says Steve Birkmeier, VP of Sales and Business Development, Arteco. “Similarly, within the next few years, we will not only continue to see more security devices on the network, but we will also start to see more cutting-edge medical technology and equipment that is network-capable.” Securing The Security Devices Birkmeier says this is a burgeoning topic of discussion within the larger conversation about where the internet of Things (IoT) is leading us. However, it also leads to some interesting questions, such as: How will we secure these “wired” devices through the network? Will new compliance standards or regulations have to be put in place? What kind of failover strategy or reliability factors can these life-saving devices guarantee for vulnerable patients if the network goes down? “Taking all these questions into consideration, it is imperative that we continue to invest in IT-centric access control solutions and open up integration opportunities with these technologies to ensure the security of patients, corporate and patient data, hospital staff and equipment,” says Birkmeier.  Read Part 3 of our Security in Healthcare series here