Arecont Vision’s megapixel solution for Florida's health care facility

Customer

Sacred Heart Health System is a 466-bed acute care facility. It includes Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and Sacred Heart Women’s Hospital. Since the Daughters of Charity opened the area’s first hospital in 1915, Sacred Heart Health System has grown into the region’s leader for providing high-quality, compassionate health care. Sacred Heart Health Systems is affiliated with Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system. The Pensacola facility is a Level II trauma centre, a Level II pediatric trauma referral centre, and a Level II/III neonatal intensive care unit.

Challenge

Sacred Heart Health System previously depended on an outdated analogue video system with limited capabilities to provide surveillance of the large facility. Surveillance technology used at the institution had not kept up with the physical expansion of the facility, and the existing analogue cameras didn’t provide the required resolution to make important details visible to ensure adequate security.

Megapixel solution

Recognising the need to update their video surveillance capabilities and coverage, Sacred Heart Health System called upon Redwire, a provider of electronic security for government, commercial, industrial and institutional clients, headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. Redwire designed and performed the installation of Sacred Heart’s new video surveillance system. The hospital chose Arecont Vision cameras to improve image quality throughout the facility. “Performance sold us on Arecont Vision megapixel cameras,” said Michael J. Matroni, Emergency Preparedness and Security Manager, Sacred Heart Health System. “The demo we saw really convinced us of the quality of the products.”

The new system employs Arecont Vision megapixel cameras in patient care areas, hallways, lobbies and at all entrances and exits. Based on the surveillance parameters for each camera location, the hospital deployed a variety of Arecont Vision cameras including 2-megapixel dome cameras, 3-megapixel dome cameras and 8-megapixel 180-degree panoramic view cameras.

For some indoor locations, the hospital chose Arecont Vision’s DF4 all-in-one 1.3-megapixel dome cameras that capture 1,920x1,080-pixel images at 32 frames per second (fps). Offering higher resolution for indoor and outdoor applications, MegaDome® AV3155 3-megapixel cameras are used throughout Sacred Heart Health System. The H.264/MJPEG colour all-in-one cameras incorporate a 4.5-10mm megapixel varifocal lens housed inside an IP66 (weather-resistant) and vandal-resistant dome. The cameras provide 2,048x1,536-pixel resolution at up to 15fps and feature an easily adjustable 3-axis camera gimbal along with 360-degree pan, 90-degree tilt and 360-degree z-axis positioning to make it simple to fine-tune camera view during installation.

Arecont Vision’s AV8185DN SurroundVideo® 180-degree panoramic view camera is used to cover large areas such as lobbies and open spaces at Sacred Heart Health System. The camera incorporates four 2-megapixel sensors, each offering 1,600x1,200-pixel resolution for a total resolution of 6400x1200 (8 megapixels) at 6fps. The camera’s dome housing is IP66-rated and vandal-resistant making it ideal for harsh environments.

Megapixel benefit

Image clarity and ease of use compelled Sacred Heart Health System to use Arecont Vision cameras. “We are using the video surveillance system to look for recorded video of suspicious persons after a description is given,” said Mr. Matroni. “We are also using it to review slip and- fall complaints and to address issues of employee accountability.”

The wide area coverage of Arecont Vision cameras allowed the hospital to save funds with fewer cameras purchased and installed, lowering both initial costs and total cost of ownership over the life of the system. For example, a single Arecont Vision 180-degree panoramic camera does the work of several conventional cameras while providing superior images. The hospital also benefits from the aesthetics of installing a single camera in the ceiling instead of multiple cameras.

The savings on equipment and manpower resulting from Arecont Vision megapixel cameras contributed to a faster return on investment for the system, which was an essential design objective of Mr. Matroni and the management at Sacred Heart Health System.