All 12 Sentara Healthcare hospitals will be rolling out a new visitor badging system, which is intended to improve patient, visitor, and staff member safety and security. The system is scheduled to go live by the end of February, and the goal is to have every employee, outpatient, vendor, visitor, and clinician wear a badge with their photo on it when they are at Sentara facilities.
Sentara RMH Medical Center Vice President of Operations Catherine Hughes told WHSV the new check-in process will be simple.
“Visitors will be asked their location, and if they have a photo ID with them, they’ll be providing that photo ID. We’ll be logging that in the system one time and then they will be given a badge that’s good for 24 hours,” she said.
The implementation of the badging system comes as hospitals across the country are experiencing a steep rise in workplace violence. Additionally, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital treated a record 541 patients for gunshot wounds in 2022, reports WAVY.
WHSV reports that Sentara RMH visitors will be asked to:
- Lock their weapons in their vehicles before entering the hospital
- Show photo identification to the receptionist
- Tell receptionists their destinations inside the hospital
- Have their photo taken and put on a badge that they wear at all times when they are in the hospital. Sentara RMH will make exceptions for visitors that don’t have photo IDs or if having their photo taken is not appropriate for their culture.
