Beyond the Front Door: A Layered Approach to Hospital Security

I don’t know about you, but I rarely show up to a healthcare facility in tip-top shape. At best, I’m a little anxious heading in for a routine check-up. At worst, it’s the middle of the night and I’m doubled over in pain, shuffling from my car toward the emergency room entrance. If I’m not there for a procedure, diagnosis, or follow-up appointment of my own, I’m probably there supporting a loved one. In any of these scenarios, I don’t have much mental energy to dedicate to my surroundings. 

In this blog, we’ll walk through how healthcare facilities can implement a defense in depth strategy—a layered security approach that begins at the perimeter and works inward—to better protect patients, visitors, staff, and high-value equipment and substances. 

What Security Challenges Do Healthcare Facilities Face?

Before you can build an effective security strategy, you need to understand what you’re up against. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities can be difficult to secure because: 

• They house medications, expensive equipment, and sensitive patient data
• Patients in distress or under sedation can't protect themselves
• Parking lots, emergency entrances, and loading docks are hotspots for theft, confrontations, and unauthorized access
• They’re working with legacy healthcare facility security solutions that aren’t ideal but would be expensive to upgrade
• There is a high amount of foot traffic at all hours of the day and night from patients, visitors, healthcare professionals, and more

There are also a lot of internal risks at play. While healthcare workers make up 10% of the workforce, they experience 48% of nonfatal injuries due to workplace violence.

What is Defense in Depth Security?

Defense in depth is a multi-layered security strategy that aims to detect, delay, and deter potential threats. It’s a coordinated system of overlapping protections that begin at the outer perimeter and extend all the way to individual departments and high-security zones.

A defense in depth security strategy could include: 

• Physical infrastructure (like fencing or lighting)
• Surveillance cameras
• AI-powered analytics
• Access control systems 
• On-site staff or remote monitoring teams

Create a Secure Environment with Multi-Layered Security 

While it may sound like a lot, defense in depth is not about redundancy for redundancy’s sake; it’s about strategically stacking layers that complement each other. Each layer buys time, reduces risk, and improves situational awareness.

Let’s walk through what that looks like, starting with the perimeter and working inward. 

1. Perimeter and Parking Lots

An effective layered security strategy is all about hardening the target (or in other words: making it more difficult for threats to reach people and assets). In healthcare facilities, that target is the inside of the building, where the highest concentration of vulnerable patients are, staff operate under pressure, and high-value pharmaceuticals and critical equipment are stored. 

You want to detect and deter threats before they reach those inner areas, this can be tricky because it’s not always possible to tell someone with harmful intentions apart from a patient or visitor. What can be identified early, though, is suspicious behavior. Loitering near entrances, pacing in the parking lot after hours, tampering with access points—these are red flags you can spot and shut down before they become serious problems.

Using mobile surveillance units, you can create a virtual perimeter around your property. The AI-powered cameras on these units can tell the difference between normal activity (like staff arriving for a shift) and suspicious behavior (like someone circling your parking lot after hours). If unwanted activity is detected, the units can automatically trigger deterrent features like flashing lights, alarms, or loudspeaker warnings.

Pair mobile security units with good lighting and clear sightlines, and you’re not just protecting what’s inside your building—you’re creating a safer environment for patients, visitors, and staff members from arrival to entry. 

→ LVT offers mobile units and multiple camera mounting options to ensure you have full site coverage. Learn more. 

2. Entrances and Access Points

The next layer of protection is your entry points. Front doors, side entrances, emergency department access, and loading bays usually see a high volume of foot-traffic, which makes them prime targets for tailgating and unauthorized access. 

Recognizing that tailgating is one of the most common security issues at hospitals nationwide, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, launched an entire awareness campaign to combat it. The campaign included videos showing worst-case scenarios that could occur due to unauthorized access, as well as signage placed at more than 1,200 card readers throughout the facility to remind employees to stay alert. This is a great example of how access control and staff awareness can work together to strengthen security.

To take it even further, facilities can also position mobile surveillance units or fixed cameras near entry points to monitor foot traffic and identify suspicious behavior, and use turnstiles or mantraps to ensure one-person-at-a-time access where needed.

3. Waiting Areas and Public Spaces

The next layer is open public zones like waiting areas, lobbies, hallways, and cafeterias. These spaces are packed with people checking in, checking out, and waiting for appointments. Emotions also run high in these spaces. We’ve all felt the stress of a long wait while sick, or the frustration of trying to comfort a loved one who received unexpected news. 

In emotionally charged, crowded environments, it’s all too easy for an argument to break out or someone to wander off unnoticed to a restricted area.  

To keep these areas secure, consider installing surveillance cameras to discourage and document disruptive behavior, placing duress buttons at reception desks so staff can discreetly request help if needed, and putting up clear signage to keep people from unintentionally veering into places they shouldn’t be.

4. Restricted and High-Security Zones

The final layer is restricted zones, which includes any space that houses sensitive data, valuable assets, or patients in particularly vulnerable states. One small misstep here can have serious consequences for safety, compliance, and health outcomes.

Badge or biometric access systems can limit entry to authorized personnel only, and AI-powered video surveillance can detect anomalies like forced entry attempts, but to get the most out of these tools, you need them to work together. 

When access control and video surveillance solutions are integrated, security personnel get real-time visibility of who’s entering restricted areas, what they’re doing once inside, and when they leave—and they don’t have to waste time piecing together fragmented pieces of a bigger picture.

Other potential security solutions for restricted zones include:

• Alarmed doors to alert security when they’re opened without authorization
• Sign-in/sign-out protocols for non-staff visitors
• Panic buttons or duress systems in high-risk areas like behavioral health units or surgical suites

Protect Patients and Staff with LVT’s Healthcare Facility Security Solutions

Whether you’re looking to improve visibility around your perimeter, monitor access points, or reduce risks in high-traffic areas, you need the right tools in your toolkit. LVT’s healthcare facility security solutions offer:

• Easy installation (we’re talking hours, not days, with no drilling, cement pouring, or permanent wiring required!)
• Flexible coverage—move them when you need them, where you need them
• Multiple camera mounting options for full site security
• Advanced threat detection powered by agentic AI
• Scalability and sustainability thanks to solar power and wireless connectivity

Want to learn how LVT can help you secure your perimeter and keep patients, visitors, staff, and pharmaceuticals safe? Contact us today for a demo.