Strategic security management: risk assessments in the environment of care.

Securing the environment of care is a challenging and continuous effort for most healthcare security managers, who face unique challenges in balancing the open campus environment with the protection needs of the hospital's patients, employees, and other assets. By conducting a comprehensive risk assessment, hospital security managers can prioritize identified risks, develop an effective hospital security program, and reduce risk to a manageable and acceptable level. This article discusses a 5-step risk assessment process that enhances the hospital security program by effectively mitigating risks to the hospital.