By Steve Lathrop
For the Gazette-Times | Posted: Wednesday, July 9, 2008 12:00 am
ALBANY - As far as anyone can remember there has not been an infant abduction from the Albany hospital since the 1940s, and Samaritan Albany General wants to make sure it stays that way.
For the past year, the hospital has provided high-tech security for every baby born there.
Installation of the My Child security system has virtually eliminated the threat of infant abduction. The system is produced by Prosec Protection Systems Inc. of Lakewood, N.J., which specializes in health care security.
"We had been looking into improving our security since the '90s," said Sharon Wilson, vice president of nursing. "We researched our options and tested systems before settling on this one."
The old system, which included ankle banding, created numerous false alarms and ultimately was deemed as less than foolproof.
With My Child, each baby is assigned a small censor attached with the umbilical clamp. The censor number is programmed into a computer. If a doorway or elevator beyond a certain distance is breached, the alarm is activated.
Automatically elevators are shut down and doors are locked. As soon as the alarm sounds, individuals on each floor of the hospital immediately go to an assigned doorway with instructions to stop anyone carrying a bundle or backpack.
The censor itself is about the size of a nickel. It is removed with the umbilical clamp.
"About the only adjustment we've made is our technique in cutting the cord. It needs to be longer than before in order for the censor to fit," said Wilson.
Censors are reusable once they have gone through sterile processing. And they are versatile.
"We have found we can use them on pediatric patients since they fit on a wrist band," added Wilson.
Wilson would not say what the system cost, saying only that it was "not as costly as one missing baby."
Regular tests are conducted, including Code Pink security drills, a system-wide protocol dealing specifically with the nursery and pediatrics.
Wilson stressed that despite the confidence in the system, the hospital takes other steps to protect babies. Included are parental briefings on security measures and special ID badges and scrubs for hospital employees who enter the maternity area.
"Overall everyone is happy. Parents like the additional level of security," said Wilson. "It provides peace of mind."