New Apple iPad-powered technology replaces paper lists and helps security teams instantly recognize high-risk individuals at entry.
Amid rising incidents of violence in U.S. healthcare facilities, many hospitals continue to rely on paper-based methods to identify potentially dangerous individuals, leaving gaps in both physical security and reporting. To address this issue, Athena Security has introduced an automated Be On the Lookout and Person of Interest system that instantly identifies high-risk individuals and sends real-time alerts to hospital security teams.
Workplace violence in hospitals is often underreported because staff and security personnel are burdened by extensive documentation requirements. By automating identification, alerting, and record-keeping, hospitals can respond to threats immediately and efficiently.
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Lisa Falzone, Co-Founder and President of Athena Security, explained, “Hospitals need tools that match the speed of modern threats. Our BOLO and Person of Interest technology removes the limitations of outdated methods and gives security teams real-time insights that can save lives while reducing administrative work.”
Hospital security teams spend significant time on paperwork, including daily logs, incident reports, visitor access, and patrol documentation, which slows response times. Studies have found that many violent events are either partially reported or missed entirely due to these labor-intensive manual processes. This is especially concerning as healthcare workers experience workplace violence at rates five times higher than other industries, creating intense pressure on security personnel to quickly identify threats.
Athena Security’s automated system replaces paper logs and memory-based identification with real-time driver’s license scanning integrated into its Visitor Management System. The technology automatically flags dangerous or restricted individuals, immediately notifying security staff, access control teams, and clinical leadership. It checks individuals against both internal BOLO lists and relevant external databases, providing accurate and proactive visibility without slowing visitor flow.
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The system aligns with U.S. Department of Homeland Security best practices for credentialing and building access management by eliminating human errors and creating precise, digital records of all visitors. Key features include instant identification of restricted or dangerous individuals, immediate creation and distribution of new BOLO alerts across all hospital sites, real-time alerts throughout the security and operations network, automated documentation of POI events, contextual notifications with officer notes, faster response to escalating threats, improved visitor management across emergency, maternity, behavioral health, and other restricted areas, and offline functionality to maintain alerts during temporary network outages.
Chris Ciabarra, Co-Founder and CTO of Athena Security, added, “Paper-based systems cannot keep up with modern hospital threats. Violent incidents are often underreported because teams are overwhelmed by manual documentation. Automating identification and alerts in real time allows hospitals to act exactly when threats occur, quickly and effectively.”
Athena Security’s BOLO and Person of Interest solution provides hospitals with a powerful tool to enhance security, streamline operations, and protect staff, patients, and visitors in today’s high-risk healthcare environments.
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