As healthcare owners continue investing in facility modernization, security planning is becoming an increasingly important component of project delivery. DPR Construction has revisited a previous episode of its healthcare-focused podcast, highlighting strategies that integrate building design, technology, and operational planning to create safer care environments.
The podcast features a discussion between Deb Sheehan, DPR Construction's healthcare market strategy leader, and Jay Farhat, executive director of protective services at Baptist Health. The conversation examines measures that healthcare organizations can incorporate into both facility operations and capital projects to improve campus safety.
Topics include security screening systems, video monitoring, workforce training, and emerging technologies designed to help prevent crime and enhance protection for patients, visitors, and staff. The speakers also discuss design considerations that can strengthen security in pediatric care areas and other spaces serving vulnerable patient populations.
The discussion also addresses behavioral health environments, where staffing limitations and resource constraints can present additional security challenges.
Participants outline the importance of coordinated de-escalation strategies involving clinical staff, security personnel, and facility teams. The episode notes that planning for these environments extends beyond daily operations and should also influence the design and construction of healthcare facilities.
Healthcare construction projects increasingly require owners, architects, and contractors to balance clinical functionality with security and resilience. Integrating safety technologies, designing spaces that support violence prevention, and planning for behavioral health needs are becoming important considerations for healthcare capital projects, particularly as health systems continue renovating and expanding patient care facilities.
Source: DPR Construction.
