When COVID-19 spiked for the first time in the U.S., Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General) needed to react quickly. In an address at the Security Industry Association (SIA) Securing New Ground conference, Bonnie Michelman, Executive Director of Police, Security and Outside Services at Mass General and winner of the 2021 SIA Insightful Practitioner Award, detailed the hospital's response to COVID-19 and the lessons she and the security team learned from the pandemic.
After a large conference led to a spike in COVID-19 infections in Boston, Mass General became overwhelmed with new patients. Within a month and a half, the hospital had converted 12 patient care units to COVID-19 units, stopped all visitors, redesignated 80 entrances and implemented COVID-19 screening throughout the building.