Health Sciences Centre
WINNIPEG — Health Sciences Centre is ramping up security efforts at its facilities for after-hours visitation and building access.
Beginning Wednesday, HSC Winnipeg will limit visits to adult medicine, surgery, rehab and addictions inpatient care units after 8:30 p.m.
While the changes are part of a trial program, visits to the adult and children’s emergency departments will remain 24/7.
HSC says its security team will screen anyone requesting access via locked exterior doors prior to entry into the building. Visitors will then again be screened by the patient care team at the inpatient care unit. All visitors will be logged.
“This measure, which is similar to ones already in place at other WRHA facilities, will respect the importance of family presence, as well as unexpected and critical changes in patient conditions,” said Ronan Segrave, interim chief operating officer, HSC Winnipeg.
“Common sense and compassion will be applied to individual situations to ensure we balance access, safety and patients’ need for rest.”
HSC’s campus includes 37 buildings on 39 acres of land, often making it difficult for security to monitor who enters and exits more than 100 exterior doors.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority says after-hours visiting on HSC’s trial units will be limited to palliative, end-of-life and critical changes to patient conditions, as well as to designated family support people. Patients will be asked to designate one or two people as their family supports; these people are not considered visitors, and may be present at HSC at any time of day.
The trial period will run for several weeks, at which time a review will be carried out to determine if permanent security changes are needed at HSC Winnipeg.
