Region Östergötland - 17 years of Integra success
It started at Linköping University Hospital with the construction of a new oncology care facility where Integra was installed as an alarm and access control system. Today, 17 years later, the Integra system dominates Region Östergötland with the management of almost 10,000 door environments, 15,000 alarm points and a total of about 60,000 active cards.
Introducing Region Östergötland
Region Östergötland’s most extensive assignment is to provide health care and dental care for the region’s inhabitants. In the Healthcare and Dental Care sector, there are approximately 13,000 employees, making Region Östergötland the region’s largest employer. The Östergötland region is also the county’s largest property owner. The health care in the county consists of primary care, short-term care and specialist care. Within the primary care there are about 40 health centers that are either region-run or privately run on behalf of Region Östergötland.
Region Östergötland has about 40 dental clinics for general dentistry, specialist dentistry and hospital dental care in the dental sector, geographically distributed over the county, whose task is to work for good dental health for the entire population.
Why Integra?
Björn Hult, Security Manager for Regionfastigheter within Region Östergötland, explains the start-up with Integra almost 17 years ago:
In connection with the start of a new building for Oncology (cancer care) at our University Hospital in Linköping in 2006, a procurement of access systems and intrusion alarms were made initially for this specific building and then further expanded as needed at the hospital. The system integrator offered the Integra system, which proved to be the most economically advantageous solution linked to system functions and the requirements. Initially, it was estimated that there would be a total of about 500 door environments. About 17 years later, we can see that we have more than 10,000 door environments, about 500 control units and about 15,000 alarm points distributed across multiple sites in the region.
Easy administration with smart integrations
How many card users do you have within Region Östergötland?
We have about 60,000 active cards distributed among employees, contractors, suppliers, family cards and students in the system. Via Integra EasyConnect, we have integrated Integra with our staff register where we collect personal data, card details, work place, assignments, profession etc. to automate the administration of access as far as possible.
We also import information about students and course codes via EasyConnect which means we get an automated administration of students’ access. We have our own customer service that cross-regional helps with the administration where we do not have standardized access zones. The also helps businesses in case they want to change for example times in the system for locking doors or alarm activation.
A need for a system designed for complex facilities
During Region Östergötland’s 17 years with Integra, what benefits have you experienced with the system?
When we initially ordered the Integra system, the Region was a novice in technical security. We probably didn’t know exactly what we needed or ordered, and in the past, every single operation had to buy their own systems. Given the development and expansion that both happened and is happening, we are extremely grateful today that we decided for the Integra system back in 2006, my conviction is that we have not been able to get to where we are today, or reach to where we are going, in case we had purchased another system.
Our facility is both large and complex with high security and accessibility requirements and this require a system that is designed for large scale opertations, and Integra fully meets our requirements. Integra is also easy to administer, despite its complexity. Access to unlimited time schedules, logical expressions, reading of different card technologies in the same card reader, standard functions such as lock function, transport of liquid nitrogen, floor control of lifts, quarantine objects (used in our lab operations), emergency locking of entire properties with a simple grip, integration features are essential for facilities of this size and our operating environment.
The Integra system is also extremely reliable, we have had few operational problems with the system, which is also a requirement when the system is installed on doors where healthcare personnel run to de facto save lives. Here is also the so-called VIP function a success factor for cards that our emergency calls have access to, which means that they do not need to use a PIN code in the card reader, although the security level in the card reader requires this from all other users.
Clear dialogue and comprehensive development of the system
What challenges have you encountered along the way?
Integra is our region-wide security system that is fully installed in our three hospitals and most other health care facilities. Integra is also the security system that is being installed where there is a need for new security systems within the organization.
We have encountered some minor challenges when we replaced existing systems with Integra, mainly with the migration of data from existing systems as well as older door fittings. But we have had a very good dialogue with our installor who has taken on the challenges and, toghether with SystemHouse Solutions, developed solutions for these. The system design of Integra also makes exchanges very simple as everything can be done before the actual exchange of the card reader at the respective door environment takes place.
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