Identifying the Need
The hospital had no easy form of controlling access throughout its building, particularly in key locations such as labs, physician offices and administrative areas.
The ISG Solution
Implemented BadgePass™ Identity Manager and Access Manager software along with Schlage™ AD-400 wireless electronic locks and aptiQ™ readers.
Proven Results
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, Illinois had three major goals in their security renovations.
- Consolidate all access systems into a single solution that was easy to implement and manage
- Replace existing off-line locks and expand the system to all 275+ openings
- Integrate a new access control system that was fully integrated with the hospital’s ID badging system
Elliott Data Systems developed a comprehensive system for the hospital that effectively addresses all three goals.
First, the firm installed Schlage™ AD-400 Series wireless electronic locks on all doors. With no wire to pull or trenches to dig, project manager Matt Buydos says these locks eliminated the time and cost of installing wired technologies. Since the hospital is more than 75 years old, this was particularly important.
“Because of the cinder block and brick, it would have been way too expensive to pull wire or try to hide it,” he explains. “Wireless was really the only sensible solution.” As a result, it took less than an hour to install each lock, versus the four to six hours required by wired alternatives.
Plus, with the AD-400’s multi-technology capabilities, the hospital can easily migrate to smart cards or Near Field Communications (mobile credentials) in the future.
Elliott Data Systems further strengthened the security of the new access control system with the installation of aptiQ™ Readers on approximately 80 openings. One key advantage of this hardware technology, Buydos says, is that the aptiQ™ Readers handle all applicable ISO standards, making it compatible with many other 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz technologies. This ensures the hospital can easily migrate to the next level smart card technology and NFC if it chooses.
Elliott Data Systems connected the AD-Series Wireless Locks using 22 Schlage™ PIM400-1501 Intelligent Controllers. These controllers, powered by Mercury, provide an IP-addressable integrated access control solution that is able to manage up to 16 AD-Series wireless devices. Buydos says the PIM400-1501 was a natural choice. Not only are they more secure; they also simplify installation for the integrator and reduce the cost of implementation for the client.
With this solution in place, Elliott Data Systems was able to replace any existing offline locks and consolidate everything into a single solution that would be easy for the hospital to manage. Even better, the access control system was able to integrate with the ID management system.
Elliott Data Solutions chose BadgePass™, a software solution that integrates with Allegion™ products through an open architecture platform, allowing the organization to tie together several platforms, including access control, credentialing and visitor management.
“With a single back-end database, it can manage multiple applications and is easily expandable to address needs as they mature,” says Lindsay Martin-Nez of BadgePass™. The hospital also liked how the intuitive design of BadgePass™ makes it easy for the end-user to use and manage.
The solution was a win-win for the integrator and the hospital. By eliminating the need to run wires or cables, the access control system was easy to implement and reduced installation time significantly. With a simplified solution, the hospital now controls all 275+ doors with one system. Credentials are activated instantly when photo IDs are printed. A hospital-wide record of access can be retrieved at any point. The hospital plans to expand the system to its main medical office building as a next step in creating a comprehensive access control system.
