By Arif khan
Healthcare environments face unique security pressures. Hospitals, clinics, labs, and senior care facilities operate with high foot traffic, sensitive patient areas, and strict compliance requirements. According to the IAHSS 2024 Healthcare Crime Survey, unauthorized access incidents increased by 25 percent, with pharmacy, emergency departments, and administrative wings named the most vulnerable. Another report from the Ponemon Institute found that 82 percent of healthcare organizations experienced at least one physical security breach in the last year.
These numbers highlight a clear trend: healthcare security teams need more than traditional locks and badges. Modern access control programs provide real-time monitoring, automated permissions, cloud dashboards, and detailed audit logs to keep facilities compliant and protected. Below are seven of the best access control programs for healthcare security teams in 2025 starting with a solution built to scale as fast as today’s healthcare networks.
Coram delivers a flexible access control program designed to help healthcare systems scale security across single buildings or multi-site networks. It supports doors, gates, elevators, and specialized access points common in hospitals and labs. The hardware-agnostic design works with existing locks and readers, making upgrades simple and cost-effective.
Healthcare teams manage credentials, schedules, and permissions from one cloud dashboard, helping them stay compliant in real time. Coram also links every door event with a video for instant verification. Whether it’s an entry, denial, forced door, or propped door, staff receive immediate visibility. Smart alerts, automated schedules, and tailgating detection add a layer of security across patient areas, restricted zones, and off-hours operations.
Best for: Healthcare organizations needing a scalable, cloud-based access control solution with unified video and simple management.
Brivo is a well-established cloud access control provider known for its easy deployment and reliable performance. Its platform works across small clinics as well as large hospital networks. Brivo supports both mobile and card credentials, giving healthcare teams flexibility for different types of staff and workflows.
The cloud dashboard centralizes door activity, user management, and reporting. For healthcare teams with rotating staff, visiting nurses, or contractors, the system makes it easy to assign and revoke access quickly. With strong uptime and remote monitoring, Brivo helps maintain consistent oversight across multiple buildings or campuses.
Best for: Hospitals and clinics that want a stable, mobile-friendly cloud access program with straightforward management.
Openpath, integrated into Avigilon Alta, focuses on ease of entry, which matters in fast-paced clinical environments. Its readers support keycards, phones, and touchless “wave to unlock” gestures, reducing physical contact on shared surfaces.
Healthcare teams can manage doors and permissions from the cloud, allowing administrators to adjust access instantly. Openpath also offers detailed logs and strong integrations with Avigilon Alta video systems. This helps security teams quickly review incidents in high-risk areas such as medication rooms, labs, and equipment storage.
Best for: Facilities prioritizing convenience, touchless entry, and flexible credential options.
HID Global has long been a trusted name in enterprise access control. Its readers support proximity cards, smart cards, and mobile credentials within the same hardware line, making transitions easy for healthcare systems moving from older cards to modern options.
HID’s hardware is durable enough for high-traffic areas like ER entrances, elevator lobbies, and staff corridors. Its integration with identity systems used in hospitals allows administrators to maintain a unified credentialing process for clinical and administrative staff.
Best for: Larger hospitals and research institutions needing secure, durable hardware and multiple credential formats.
Honeywell offers a range of access control readers that integrate tightly with its building management systems. This is especially useful for hospitals where HVAC, security, and facility operations need to work together.
Its readers support card, mobile, and biometric credentials, offering flexibility for restricted areas such as pharmacies, ICU wings, or laboratory environments. Honeywell’s cloud and on-prem options allow healthcare facilities to deploy the system based on their IT and compliance needs.
Best for: Healthcare facilities already using Honeywell building systems and wanting seamless integration.
Genetec provides a unified platform that combines access control, video, alarms, and analytics. This centralization is useful for large healthcare campuses with multiple departments and buildings.
Its access module includes detailed reporting and compliance tools to support healthcare regulations. Genetec’s strong video integration helps security teams verify events quickly, whether investigating a restricted-area breach or tracking after-hours movement.
Best for: Healthcare networks requiring strong analytics and centralized command-center capabilities.
C•CURE is a high-end access control program trusted by many enterprise healthcare systems. It offers granular access rules, customizable workflows, and strong integration with hospital visitor and identity systems.
Security teams can create detailed access profiles for doctors, nurses, contractors, and vendors. The platform supports complex multi-building environments and provides reliable audit trails for compliance needs, including pharmacy and medication access monitoring.
Best for: Large hospitals or healthcare campuses needing fully customizable access rules and detailed reporting.
Why do healthcare facilities need modern access control programs?
Healthcare environments face high foot traffic and strict compliance rules. Modern access control programs help prevent unauthorized access, protect restricted areas, and provide detailed audit logs for safety and regulatory reporting.
Can hospitals integrate new access control systems with existing hardware?
Yes. Many systems, including Coram, Brivo, and HID, support existing locks and readers, making upgrades easier and more cost-effective.
What credentials work best in healthcare environments?
Mobile credentials, smart cards, and biometrics all work well. Touchless entry is popular in clinical settings due to hygiene concerns.
Do these systems help with compliance requirements like HIPAA?
They assist by providing detailed access logs, audit trails, and controlled permissions, helping healthcare teams document who accessed sensitive areas and when.
Which access control program is best for multi-site healthcare networks?
Coram, Genetec, and C•CURE are strong options due to their scalability, centralized dashboards, and ability to manage multiple buildings efficiently.
Healthcare facilities operate in environments where every door, hallway, and restricted room carries risk. Modern access control programs give security teams the tools to monitor access in real time, enforce compliance, and respond quickly to threats.
Coram provides scalable, video-integrated access control that works across any number of sites.
Brivo and Openpath offer strong cloud and mobile-friendly options.
HID, Honeywell, Genetec, and C•CURE deliver proven, enterprise-level performance for complex healthcare operations.
Choosing the right access control program ensures safer environments for patients, clinicians, and staff without adding complexity.
MBTpg
