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Hospital ID Cards & Badges

How Hospitals use ID Cards & Badges to Manage Employees, Patients and Visitors

Hospital staff wearing ID BadgesHospital ID cards and badges are a familiar fixture at all hospitals and the medical community at large.

They have almost become part of the uniform for doctors, nurses and non-medical staff.  Badges are also used by patients and visitors.

What has changed over the years are two things – (1) how these cards and badges are made, and (2) how they are used.

Hospital ID cards are now printed in-house

Today, most hospitals and medical facilities are producing their own ID cards and badges.  No longer do they need to send data to a different department or an outside business to produce the cards and then have them sent back a day or two later.

Hospitals now have their own system where photos are taken, data is added to a computer and plastic photo ID cards are produced on the spot in a matter of seconds.

Also, with lower costs and the need to print cards quickly, a growing number of organizations are bringing ID printing systems to individual departments.

Hospital ID cards serve many purposes

hospital ID cards & badges

Hospital ID cards and badges have many obvious applications.  First and foremost, the badges are used for security – to allow a quick confirmation of everyone’s identity.

Of course, they are also used to control access of authorized personnel to certain buildings, rooms or other locked compartments.

But ID cards can also be used to track usage of certain equipment or medicines.

In some cases, hospitals are using badges to track time and attendance of their employees, and to provide employees with a convenient payment method for the cafeteria, gift shop and parking lot.

ID card printers for every need and budget

To be sure, not every hospital, facility or department have the same level of need for an ID card printer.

Some have an occasional need – maybe just a handful of cards a month whenever a new employee starts work.  But others have daily needs – especially if they are issuing badges for every patient or every visitor.

Who gets an ID card in your organization – whether to include patients and visitors – is always going to be your decision.

But the good news is, there are printers for every level of need and budget.

Magicard, for example, has a model (Pronto 100) for entry level, low-volume users, and then two other models (300 and 600) for increasingly advanced usage.

By advanced usage, we mean both print speed and technology.

ID card printers are easy to use

You may be wondering about how difficult these printers are to set up and operate – especially the higher end units.

Will you be able to assign an office staffer to run the printer?

What you will find is that most ID card printers are no more complicated than your regular office printer.  It is a largely intuitive process for both set up and operations.

Starting from scratch?  Let’s look at a complete ID card-making system

Hospitals are busy places. The last thing you need is a complicated, multi-step process for creating photo ID badges.

What you need is a simple, but complete, all-in-one system that allows you to create, print and use photo ID cards on the spot – and quickly

Here’s how it should work whenever you need to issue a new card:

  • You ask and verify certain questions and type them into your laptop
  • You ask the new individual to stand in front of your camera, click and upload to the laptop.
  • You preview the card on screen and, if you’re satisfied, you press PRINT.
  • You give the individual the ID card before they enter the facility.

Here’s what you need to get started …

  1. The Software – ID badge creation software
  2. The Printer – D card printer with cards and supplies
  3. The Camera – works with your software and printer
  4. The Card Reader – provides access control to secured areas or buildings

Of course, you may already have some of these pieces in place. In that case, let’s talk about the individual components.

Let’s take a closer look …

1-The Software

Before you can print the ID card, you need to design it – and that’s what the software will do for you.

We offer our own ID creation software called BadgeBuilder.  In three versions for different levels of usage and technology.

With BadgeBuilder®, all data is stored in a private database so a lost card is replaced in a flash without having to retake a picture or re-enter data. Simply pull up the database entry and print out a new card.

BadgeBuilder® is compatible with multiple cameras and printer lines, contains a powerful array of options and has full Windows® 7, 8, 10 support. All this makes BadgeBuilder® the choice for your ID creation needs.

 

2-The Printer (with ribbons, cards and supplies)

The printer is the workhorse of your ID card-making system.

We recommend the Magicard family of ID card printers.  You can choose a printer that best matches your print volume, technology needs and budget.

Of course, you’ll need printer ribbons, cleaning kits, blank or proximity cards and various types of badge holders, lanyards and other accessories.  And we can provide those as well.

 

3-The Camera

Pretty much any camera will work if you want to go through the multi-step process of uploading, retrieving, downloading and positioning.

But we offer a camera that eliminates all those steps.  Just shoot, click and the photo is automatically uploaded to the card design.

In other words, a camera designed specifically for the software.

 

4-The Card Reader

Card readers come in many varieties – from a simple barcode or card swiping reader to the more advanced magnetic stripe or smart card systems.

We can provide all types of card readers.

However, it’s important to remember that the more advanced technologies may require some printer enhancements and the use of so-called proximity cards.

More about the Magicard family of ID badge printers

If you are in the market for a membership ID card printer or card maker, Magicard is a name you can count on.

Magicard offers a range or ID card printers to serve the needs and usage volume of every type of medical facility or department.

From a simple, entry-level unit that prints in low volume to more advanced products that offer higher volumes and expanded technology, Magicard offers these three very popular models

You can find more about these printers (including pricing) by following the links above or by clicking here.

Reliable ID card printers – with all kinds of options

Magicard offers a range of ID card printers to meet just about any application or usage volume you might have.

Magicard also gives you these options:

  • Print one-sided or two-sided cards
  • Print in full color or one color
  • Add an ID photo
  • Print one at a time or in bulk
  • Produce cards for scanning, swiping or smart recognition
  • Prevent counterfeiting with its patented Holokote watermark technology

 

Want to get started?  Let’s talk first.

If you’re new to all this … if you are considering your first ID card printer purchase, we invite you to call us – actually call our Magicard expert, Drew Carey.

Drew knows these products inside and out – and he will walk you through a series of questions to help you determine which model makes the most sense for you.  He will also explain what supplies and accessories you might need to get started.

Interested in a “starter bundle?”  Drew will be happy to put together everything you need to get started.  And you can be sure he will give you the very best pricing we have available.

You can reach Drew by phone at 800-856-4735 or by email at sales@secureidbadgesupplies.com.