The labor and delivery/OB units (the Baby Place, 4 West, and the Birth Place) and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are undergoing necessary changes to enhance the current security of the areas. Effective Monday, Feb. 9, permanent heightened security goes into effect. The most visual changes are taking place on the fourth floor of University Tower, where security doors and card-access entries are being installed at all entrances and exits.
Only authorized personnel will have special card-reader ID badges to access the floor beyond the public lobby. The only public access to the floor will be via the Unit IV main elevators (University Tower) or the stairway near those elevators. In the past, employees, patients and visitors were allowed to access the fourth floor of University Tower via fourth floor Durham Outpatient Center and the UMA building.
On Feb. 9, employees and vendors who use the fourth floor of University Tower as a thoroughfare from the Durham Outpatient Center and UMA building will need to find alternative routes. In the meantime, signs have been posted announcing the upcoming changes.
“This upgrade is essential for the best interest of our patients and their families,” said Susan Adams, director of Women’s and Infants’ Services. “By implementing this security plan, we demonstrate our commitment to the care and well-being of our patients. At the same time, we recognize the inconvenience it may cause for employees and physicians, and appreciate their understanding and support of a change that is necessary to enhance patient security. By communicating this change early, we hope to minimize its impact.”
The changes to fourth floor of Clarkson Tower (the Birth Place) include special card-reader ID badges for all medical personnel coming into the unit and stricter control over access for vendors and services working on the floor.