Doctors Hospital of Manteca has launched a badge system for visitors.

The change is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen security at the sprawling east Manteca medical campus that includes a hospital, medical office buildings and a parking lot split by North Street.

It is the first time the hospital has had such a system in place since it opened in 1962.

The new procedures include:

*All visitors will be asked to check into the hospital utilizing three main routes: The Emergency Department, the front lobby and the outpatient lobby between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

* After 5 p.m. and on weekends, the front lobby and the Emergency Department will be the entry points as the outpatient lobby will be closed.

*All visitors will be asked to stop at one of these entrance points and show their ID and receive a badge.  The badge will indicate what area in the hospital the visitor is going to – the badges are color coded in order to be easily visualized.

Brandon May, chief executive officer, noted as a family centered facility, Doctors Hospital wants to be able to open their doors to visitors 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

The badges are in addition to the hiring of more security officers to align staffing more in line with what a typical medical facility the size and with patient activity that Doctors Hospital has. The hospital’s emergency room, as an example, sees in excess of 32,000 patients a year.

May said the goal is make sure the safety of patients, staff, volunteers, and visitors is adequately addressed.

It goes hand-in-hand with a recent effort by May to address pedestrian safety issues in front of the hospital where North Street cuts the campus in half.

May is hoping to work with the City of Manteca to come up with solutions to slow down traffic in a bid to reduce near misses as well as incidents where employees fear their safety is in danger after they are nearly across the street leading  them to  running and sometimes tripping to make sure they aren’t hit.

May told the council last month that traffic on North Street is a reoccurring concern expressed by hospital personnel at monthly staff meetings.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com