In today’s healthcare landscape, patient safety considerations extend far beyond clinical care. Hospitals and healthcare facilities must also safeguard their people, assets, and operations against an increasingly complex threat environment—ranging from workplace violence and unauthorized access to evolving regulatory demands.
At Securitas USA Healthcare, we believe a stronger, safer hospital begins with a smarter strategy: tailored, proactive risk assessments designed specifically for the unique demands of healthcare environments.
Discover how Securitas USA Healthcare’s specialized risk assessments can help hospitals uncover vulnerabilities, strengthen safety protocols, assist with regulatory readiness, and help optimize operational performance—without disrupting care.
Elevating hospital security beyond the basics
Healthcare facilities face a dual imperative: deliver exceptional patient care while helping protect the people, systems, and environments that enable that care. Yet security challenges are mounting—from rising incidents of violence to increasingly complex compliance standards.
Tailored security risk assessments are no longer optional—they are foundational. They move beyond static checklists to provide detailed, facility-specific insights that support better, faster, and more confident decision-making.
“A strategic risk assessment is the blueprint for resilient healthcare operations,” says Jonathan Katz, a leader in Securitas USA’s Healthcare Division. “It’s how hospitals strengthen safety, streamline operations, and stay ahead of regulatory demands—without compromising the healing environment patients depend on.”
Why tailored risk assessments matter
Every healthcare facility is different—and so are its risks.
Factors like hospital layout, local crime rates, patient demographics, and service specialties all influence a facility’s vulnerability profile. A one-size-fits-all approach leaves critical gaps exposed.
Securitas USA Healthcare’s Certified Healthcare Protection Administrators (CHPAs)— Certified by the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) affirming the competencies they have demonstrated in the field of healthcare security through education, experience, and professional development. — bring specialized expertise to every assessment. Our teams work closely with hospital leadership to evaluate:
- Physical security infrastructure
- Access control and visitor management processes
- Facility design vulnerabilities (using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, CPTED, principles)
- Staff training and incident response protocols
- Patient population risk factors (e.g., pediatric, psychiatric, high-profile procedures)
This focused, customized approach helps identify not just where risks exist—but which vulnerabilities carry the highest potential impact, allowing leaders to prioritize actions where they matter most.
Enabling regulatory readiness and proactive compliance
In today’s regulatory environment, hospitals are held to stringent standards for workplace safety, emergency preparedness, and patient security. Falling short isn’t just costly—it can endanger lives.
Proactive risk assessments help healthcare leaders uncover compliance gaps before they escalate into legal exposure or fines. By mapping vulnerabilities against Joint Commission, OSHA, and CMS requirements, Securitas USA Healthcare assessments help facilities:
- Stay audit-ready
- Enhance workplace violence prevention efforts
- Strengthen crisis management and active shooter response
- Improve physical access controls and surveillance strategies
“Healthcare settings are high-stress, high-traffic environments—risk factors are amplified,” Perenchio notes. “Risk assessments turn potential liabilities into opportunities for resilience, giving healthcare leaders the insights they need to help protect patients, staff, and reputations.”
Driving operational efficiency through smarter risk management
Security resources are finite. In healthcare especially, every dollar—and every minute—counts.
A targeted risk assessment enables smarter allocation of both. By connecting threat likelihood to operational impact, Securitas USA Healthcare helps hospitals:
- Optimize security staffing strategies based on risk tiers
- Streamline emergency protocols tailored to facility-specific needs
- Prioritize infrastructure improvements where they deliver the highest return
- Balance human security presence with smart technology deployments
High-risk areas like emergency departments, behavioral health units, and key entry points receive concentrated focus, while lower-risk zones are managed more efficiently enhancing protection without unnecessary disruption.
Aligning safety protocols with the patient care mission
At Securitas USA, we believe security measures must enable the hospital’s mission—not obstruct it. Effective security supports clinical workflows, maintains a welcoming environment, and fosters a culture of safety without adding friction.
Our assessments are built around one core principle: security should work with care, not against it. Recommendations are tailored to integrate seamlessly into healthcare operations, so that that improvements in safety reinforce, rather than hinder, patient and staff experience.
Facilities that align security efforts with operational flow experience fewer disruptive incidents, higher staff satisfaction, and stronger patient trust—laying the groundwork for a truly resilient healthcare environment.
Strengthen your healthcare security—today and tomorrow
Hospitals that proactively assess risk don’t just respond to challenges—they lead with strength, confidence, and operational agility.
“Risk assessments are investments in the future of healthcare,” Parsons concludes. “They help protect people, preserve operational integrity, and empower hospitals to deliver exceptional care even amid evolving threats.”
Discover how a tailored security risk assessment can help elevate your facility’s safety, resilience, and efficiency.
Contact the Securitas USA Healthcare Guarding Division today to schedule your customized assessment—and take the first step toward a smarter, stronger hospital environment.
