Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin is beefing up security in its emergency room.
The hospital has installed magnetic locks on the five doors in the ER, which staff can unlock with their badges.
The facility’s nurse manager says before the locks were installed, anyone could walk through the area, raising concerns both about security and about patient privacy.
The new security system also is designed to prevent patients with dementia from walking away.
Officials say the changes are part of a nationwide trend toward more security in hospitals.