IP Video On Deck for Medical Center

May 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Delivering top-notch security to match its premium health care just got easier at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Shawnee Mission, Kan. Along with a 270,000-square-foot expansion of its medical facilities, Shawnee Mission Medical Center is also embarking on the transition from analog to network video. The new parking deck is the first area to include network video cameras. Using network video and Video Management System (VMS) Software from Wren Associates, Jefferson City, Mo., a 21-person security team can now monitor the parking lot remotely with the click of a mouse, thus deploying personnel more efficiently. Based on the success so far, IP video is planned across the entire campus over the next several years.

The center provides health care and community support to people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and across the Midwest. Breaking ground on a $95 million expansion of its main campus in September 2006, the center is constructing new, state-of-the-art facilities to include a renovated hospital, new patient care clinics and other health care facilities. The new parking deck was needed to ensure the safety of patients, visitors and staff while renovation continues.

From the onset of construction, Lt. Steve Haynes, security operations manager, insisted on installing network video technology in the new deck to promote safety. “The very first thing any patient is going to do is drive into the parking deck. Their experience with us begins right there, and providing a secure space from the outset is critical,” Haynes says. Previously, Haynes managed the facility's use of analog video. He saw a shift to network video as a powerful long-term solution; analog video can be limiting from both an accessibility and scalability standpoint. Haynes recognized the need to employ a network video system to integrate seamlessly with the existing IT network.

“There were too many challenges with analog — from a lack of storage space for DVRs to limited accessibility to cabling issues. Network video was quickly becoming the industry standard, and we needed something we could install and maintain on our IT network,” Haynes says. “Not to mention that pulling analog video coax cable from the security office all the way to the parking deck would have doubled or tripled the cost of the project, making it cost-prohibitive.”

Haynes approached John Krumme at CamDex, a security system provider that Shawnee Mission Medical Center had worked with for years. Krumme recommended Wren's Network Video Solutions, with the company's integrated IP cameras and housings and VMS Software.

The security team wanted to start by covering the parking lot, a key entry and exit point on site. The team sought in particular to monitor the emergency call boxes closely. To cover the maximum possible area around the parking deck in addition to the call box area, they selected Wren's IP Environmental Globe with integrated PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera. An easy-to-use toggle controls the camera through Wren VMS Software, and the camera has been programmed to pivot automatically to focus on a call box whenever the box is in use. In other key areas, Wren's day/night cameras were installed to capture video in both light and dark conditions. All cameras can be managed through Wren VMS Software and connect with the existing IT network.

The security team at Shawnee Mission Medical Center also appreciated the custom configurability of the software. “You can drag-and-drop the camera of your choice into any number of configurations to access live views however you'd like,” Haynes says. “Another feature that's helpful is the ability to save frequently used configurations. For example, we might want to look at all of the call boxes during late-night hours — and then click on a folder to see all the views we need to check at 10 p.m. each night. This reduces training time and enables us to standardize our security procedures.”

A few weeks after installation, the system has already been a boon to the security team. With the construction and the configuration of a multi-level deck, it was a challenge for security personnel to patrol the deck. With Wren VMS Software, security operators log on from the office and quickly scan for suspicious activities or problems. They can direct officers to the site of any problem rather than using manpower to patrol areas that do not need attention.

Haynes plans to transition the rest of the analog cameras to IP as opportunities and funding are available. “Shawnee Mission Medical Center has been fortunate to have had only minor incidences, but we attribute much of that to our proactive security stance,” he says. “Parking lots are the ultimate soft target, particularly at hospitals where different cars are in and out constantly. Network video allows us to keep an eye on things across a growing facility without having to add personnel.”

Network video is a proactive tool for security. In security as in health care, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It's an old adage well-noted and practiced by Shawnee Mission Medical Center in its health care practices — and its security efforts.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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