ST. JOSEPH, Mich.--Visitors will be using new badges at Lakeland Medical Center starting December 2.

Beginning December 2, all visitors of inpatient units at Lakeland Medical Center who are 12-years-old or older will have to present a valid photo ID.

The photo ID will be scanned into the system to create a badge. Photos will be taken on site of visitors who are too young to have an ID.

Rich Matthews, Director of Safety and Security for Spectrum Health Lakeland, said that the change is largely due to the risk of violence in the healthcare field.

“Violence does occur in our facilities and inpatient units. When caregivers have to spend time managing potentially disruptive visitors, it influences their ability to spend time caring for their patients. Our goal is to stop disorderly visitors before they ever reach the inpatient units,” Matthews said in an email.

The new badges also bring with them a new policy.

“Requiring new badges every 24 hours helps us manage who has access to inpatient floors in more real time, therefore maintaining a higher level of security for our staff and patients,” Matthews said.

Visitors planning to be at the hospital longer than 24 hours will now have to go back to the front desk to get a new pass.

The badges will also be color coded for each individual floor.

“All Spectrum Health Lakeland team members can play a larger role in keeping everyone safe,” Matthews said.

Plans are also underway for issuing visitor badges in the hospital’s emergency department.