Healthcare Security Services

Settings We Support

Every area of a healthcare facility carries its own risks. MGP builds post orders around the specific unit, its patient population and its clinical workflow.

• Hospitals and medical centers
• Emergency departments and urgent care
• Inpatient and outpatient behavioral health units
• Maternity, newborn and pediatric units
• Outpatient surgery centers and ambulatory care
• Medical office buildings, clinics and physician practices
• Long-term care, assisted living and rehabilitation facilities
• Pharmacies and medication storage areas
• Parking garages, surface lots and campus grounds

Workplace Violence Prevention

Healthcare workers face a higher risk of workplace violence than most other fields, and emergency departments and behavioral health units carry the greatest exposure. MGP officers support the facility’s workplace violence prevention program rather than operate apart from it.

The Joint Commission added workplace violence prevention requirements for accredited hospitals that took effect in 2022, covering worksite analysis, reporting, training and leadership oversight. OSHA publishes Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. MGP aligns officer duties, incident reporting and training records with the program the facility has adopted.

• Visible officer presence at emergency department entrances, triage and waiting areas
• Verbal de-escalation and trauma-informed communication as the first response
• Nonphysical intervention techniques consistent with the de-escalation model the facility uses, such as CPI, MOAB or a comparable program
• Response to behavioral emergency and combative person codes alongside clinical staff
• Weapons screening and secure property handling where the facility requires it
• Accurate incident documentation that feeds the facility’s workplace violence reporting and data review

Behavioral Health and Patient Watch Coverage

Patients on suicide precautions, elopement risk or involuntary holds often require continuous observation. MGP provides patient watch and sitter support officers who follow the observation level and instructions set by the clinical team.

Under the CMS Conditions of Participation for hospitals (42 CFR 482.13), patients have the right to care in a safe setting, and restraint or seclusion may only be used under specific conditions. Any staff who apply restraint must be trained under the hospital’s policies. MGP officers act only within the role the facility assigns and never initiate restraint or seclusion on their own.

• One-to-one and line-of-sight patient observation as directed by nursing
• Elopement and wandering prevention for at-risk patients
• Room sweeps for ligature risks and contraband when clinical staff request them
• Support for patient holds and transfers within the facility’s policy
• Shift handoff logs that record observation times and any changes in behavior

Infant and Pediatric Security

Maternity and pediatric units need controlled access and a practiced abduction response. MGP officers support the facility’s infant security program, including any electronic infant protection system, and train on the facility’s infant abduction code and lockdown plan.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children publishes guidance for healthcare professionals on preventing infant abductions, and MGP uses it as a reference when building post orders for these units.

• Access control and visitor verification at unit entrances
• Response to infant protection system alarms
• Exit coverage and stairwell checks during an abduction code
• Participation in infant abduction drills
• Escort and identity checks consistent with the unit’s matching procedures

Environment of Care and Emergency Response

The Joint Commission evaluates security as part of a hospital’s Environment of Care. DNV accredits hospitals under its own standards, and CMS adopts NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code, and NFPA 99, the Health Care Facilities Code, for life safety. MGP officers support the security and life safety duties these frameworks expect a facility to maintain, and keep records that hold up during surveys and inspections.

• Response to the facility’s emergency codes, including fire, security alerts, missing persons, active threats and facility lockdown
• Emergency department and campus lockdown support
• Fire watch coverage during impairments, consistent with NFPA requirements and local fire code
• Patrols of patient care areas, mechanical spaces, parking structures and grounds
• Controlled access to medication rooms, pharmacies, labs and records areas
• Preservation of the scene and of video evidence after an incident, with chain of custody handled under facility policy

Patient Privacy and HIPAA Awareness

Officers in a healthcare setting see and hear protected health information. MGP trains healthcare officers on the HIPAA privacy expectations the facility sets for its workforce and contractors. Officers do not discuss patients, do not photograph patients or records, and share information only with those who have a need to know under facility policy.

• Confidentiality acknowledgment signed before assignment
• No personal phone use in patient care areas
• Incident reports that record facts, not diagnoses or speculation
• Written reports routed only to designated facility contacts

Officer Training for Healthcare Posts

Healthcare officers complete MGP’s standard security training and state licensing requirements, followed by site training on the facility’s policies, codes and de-escalation model. Officers at Tier II and above are eligible for CPR, first aid, AED and bleeding control training such as Stop the Bleed, and for de-escalation training such as CPI or MOAB. MGP also provides post order and building-specific training, and any additional training the facility recommends or requires.

The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) publishes Healthcare Security Industry Guidelines and offers officer training and the Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator (CHPA) credential. MGP uses these guidelines as a reference point when designing healthcare post orders.

Integration With Your Systems and Teams

MGP officers work with the facility’s security leadership, nursing supervisors and facilities team. Officers can monitor existing video and access control systems from a security desk and coordinate with off-duty police officers where the facility uses them and local rules allow.

• Security desk and dispatch staffing
• Video surveillance and access control monitoring on client systems
• Off-duty police officer coordination where permitted
• Daily activity reports and incident trend summaries for leadership

Frequently Asked Questions

Do MGP officers apply patient restraints?

Only when the facility assigns that role, has trained the officer under its own restraint and seclusion policy, and a clinician directs it. MGP officers never initiate restraint or seclusion on their own.

Can MGP provide patient watch or sitter coverage?

Yes. MGP provides patient observation officers who follow the observation level and instructions set by the clinical team and document each check.

How do MGP officers handle patient privacy?

Officers are trained on the facility’s HIPAA privacy expectations, sign a confidentiality acknowledgment, and share information only with those who have a need to know under facility policy.

Will officers follow our emergency codes?

Yes. Officers are trained on the facility’s own emergency codes and lockdown plan during site onboarding and take part in drills.

Can MGP support our workplace violence prevention program?

Yes. MGP aligns officer duties, de-escalation methods and incident reporting with the program the facility has adopted, so security data supports the facility’s own review.

Does MGP provide fire watch for healthcare facilities?

Yes. MGP provides fire watch coverage during fire alarm or sprinkler impairments, consistent with local fire code and the facility’s life safety plan.

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