Trusted Security Solution Provider Meets Demands of Healthcare Staffing Company’s Growing Corporate Campus

When one of the nation’s premier providers of healthcare workforce services, Jackson Healthcare, needed to replace outdated camera and access control systems, the company turned to the physical security experts at Alscan.

Jackson Healthcare’s acquisition-fueled expansion and growing corporate campus demanded advanced physical security systems to keep its employees protected and safe while on the job. That requirement gained added importance when the company, a nationally recognized Great Place to Work®, created an on-site childcare center for the children of their employees.

Alscan was ready and willing to step up and propose not just a product but an integrated solution spanning vendors, users and related requirements. Over the subsequent decade of collaboration, Alscan’s impact has continued to be felt across Jackson Healthcare’s North Atlanta gated corporate campus which now includes four buildings and a parking deck.

Controlling Access to Campus, Buildings, Floors, Suites

“For us, security starts at the gates. Our associates badge in through a gate and guests are cleared to enter via the gate house,” said Jennifer Greer, CPP, Jackson Healthcare’s Director of Security. “Access to all buildings, elevators, stairwells and secured suites is controlled. Exterior cameras show multiple views of the campus, and we have interior cameras in some public parts of our buildings as well.”

Early in the Jackson Healthcare/Alscan relationship, it became apparent that securing the corporate headquarters campus would not be a one-size-fits-all assignment. For example, with multiple operating companies sharing the Jackson Healthcare headquarters, it was critical that access to each building, floor and suite be limited to only those with a business need to be in that location.

As part of that effort, Alscan replaced all the outdated security cameras one building at a time. Then, Alscan upgraded the camera system’s operating software.

Greer took on the expanded security role with the company just before the cutover from the old security system to the new one took place. “Alscan’s team of trainers spent a week with me, and I got a crash course on camera technology. We had great customer service throughout the complex cutover process,” Greer said.

As Jackson Healthcare’s security manager, Greer manages the contracts and relationships of security providers that support the rapidly growing organization. While a secondary security company provides contract guard services, Alscan serves as Jackson Healthcare’s enterprise security partner. As part of her security duties, Greer also participates on the company’s Business Continuity and Incident Management teams.

Troubleshooting Issues Across Vendor Products

Once the camera upgrade was complete, a massive campus expansion began to take shape. The corporate headquarters was adding three buildings, a parking garage and a perimeter-based gating system. Greer and Alscan teamed up to become the “voice of premise security” during the construction process, advising on capabilities, systems and access limitations.

“Door issues surfaced during early operation of the expanded campus and Alscan took the initiative to trace the sources of those problems all the way through,” Greer said. “Our electrician, the door vendor and Alscan worked together to figure out the cause of the problem and resolve. They lead our problem resolution efforts and work as a team with us.”

When Jackson Healthcare created a childcare center for 100 children in one of its buildings, a new layer to security came into play. “Because the childcare center is located in a building with other tenants, it was important to strictly control the hallways and doors leading to and from the center,” Greer said. “We needed separate fire alarms with individual releases and access for nightly housekeepers. This puzzle was confounding at first, but Alscan helped us figure it out.”

Analytics Offer Incident Detail

In recent years, Jackson Healthcare called on Alscan to upgrade its camera system with analytics-based units. Analytics have proven to be key to tighter campus security and an enhanced sense of safety.

“Having a security guard stare at multiple screens simultaneously is ineffective,” Greer said. “These cameras use reporting software to flag abnormal behavior.” For example, when a person recently circumnavigated a campus gate, the system alerted the Security staff, who tracked the person to an exact location. Analytics can also alert the Security staff to an incident the moment it happens, which can help speed needed resources to right place at the right time. In addition, daily badge scan reports help Jackson Healthcare operations staff track occupancy for planning purposes, such as how many meals need to be prepared in the company’s restaurant. 

“Alscan has taught me to how to pull reporting data, access the camera system from a remote location and trouble shoot,” Greer said. “I always know they will be there when we encounter a problem we haven’t seen before.”

Convenience and control also count high on Greer’s list. “Our Security staff can monitor any location on the corporate campus from any security station. I control who sees what and I can also monitor all our facilities remotely as well. Alscan has certainly made my life easier.”

Heightened Sense of Safety on Campus

Greer recalled one employee telling her that the company’s secure campus weighed heavily in her decision to join Jackson Healthcare. Another employee noted how quickly the organization replaces non-functioning cameras and inoperable doors. “Alscan’s responsiveness helps us move quickly to continually secure our campus and the employees who are our customers.”

Learning to secure a multi-location, complex operation has benefitted not only Jackson Healthcare but Greer as well. “Working with Jackson Healthcare was my first exposure to security, and now I have a certificate in premise security.”

Going beyond core responsibility is another reason Greer supports Alscan. When one of the gates protecting Jackson Healthcare’s corporate campus failed recently, Alscan sent a team of technicians to diagnose and repair the problem even though Alscan is not responsible for premise gates.

“Compared to other companies in our industry, Jackson Healthcare doesn’t have heavy turnover. Employees of our customer companies do their jobs more efficiently because of the way we take care of them when they are on campus. Security is a big part of that, and we are part of the reason people want to be here,” continues Greer.

Size Matters to Both Organizations

For Jackson Healthcare and Alscan, two family-owned businesses that have experienced exponential growth, service has always come first. That service-first tradition continues today even as both companies continue to innovate and lead their respective industries.

“When we decided to work with Alscan a decade ago, we were both family-owned businesses of about the same size,” Greer said. “We had not been getting good service from our previous security services provider because we were just too small to matter to them. Today, even though both our organizations have grown significantly, we still matter to Alscan.”

Fast-moving organizations such as Jackson Healthcare and Alscan have used their decade of working together to build a trusted relationship. “I believe Alscan is more of a partner to us than a vendor,” Greer said. “They take the time to understand what we need and their recommendations are always based on what’s best for us. Once we decide on a technical direction, Alscan searches the market to find the best solutions and fair pricing for us. I trust them completely.”  

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