By Healthcare Facilities Today

A recent article in The Fayetteville Observer notes enhanced security measures for visitors at the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center are met with praise from security personnel and visitors alike. 

As of January 1, the center has implemented a new system where the hospital's 3,500 daily visitors must scan their photo identification upon arrival or have a digital photo taken for a pass. The passes expire after either 12 or 24 hours and they have a sticker that slowly turns into a stop sign when the pass has expired. The hospital also has reduced the number of entrances available to visitors from 35 to 8, according to the article. 

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is not the first to employ an automated visitor management system. In fact, doing so is recommended by experts within the security industry. An article in Campus Safety magazine highlights "10 healthcare facility best practices for visitor management," starting with utilizing an automated system. 

The article goes on to suggest additional tips for getting the most out of the system, such as integrating it with other software used for admissions and discharges, setting up alerts to let staff know when patients have reached their guest limits and placing kiosks in the lobby for self registration.