December is one of the most demanding times of the year for hospitals. From increased patient volume to complex staff scheduling, the holidays introduce risk factors that aren’t always visible, until they disrupt operations.
Respiratory infections, flu and cold-related injuries are common during winter. But holiday travel, staffing shortages and family visitations can escalate risks even further, making it harder for clinical teams to manage critical events in real time.
According to the 2025 AHA Hospital Statistics, U.S. hospitals reported over 913,000 staffed beds, with community hospitals accounting for more than 85% of those. This reflects the scale of the healthcare system’s ongoing responsibility to manage rising patient volumes throughout the year.
So how can your facility stay ahead?
Smart Safety Systems That Adapt to Seasonal Challenges
Manual protocols and audible alarms may not be enough when facilities are near or at capacity. The combination of patient overflow, visitor distractions and temporary staff during the holidays creates an environment where small issues can rapidly turn into emergencies.
Smart location-based systems like Secure Care’s Location-Based Data Solutions (LBDS) use Bluetooth zoning to send instant alerts when:
- A patient or visitor enters a restricted area
- An unauthorized door is opened
- A staff member remains in a hazardous area too long
This kind of real-time visibility can support hospital teams when they’re running lean, helping to reduce errors, improve safety and maintain compliance during seasonal surges.
Why Staffing Alone Isn’t the Answer
Even with advance planning, many hospitals struggle with understaffing during the holidays.
Research has shown that outcomes after in-hospital cardiac arrest were worse during holiday periods, even when patient and event characteristics remained similar, suggesting that changes in staffing patterns during these times may play a significant role in patient outcomes (NIH).
That operational gain was tied directly to improvements in patient flow, something that alerting systems can help support.
While adequate staffing levels are critical, they don’t address the root issue: inefficient communication and response workflows.
If a nurse sees a patient in distress but the alert doesn’t reach the right responder in time, the outcome can still be catastrophic, regardless of how many staff are on shift.
Layering in smart safety systems that automate notifications, route alerts by role and location and provide real-time visibility into incident status can close these gaps.
Hospitals need to think beyond how many people are working and start focusing on how information moves when every second counts.
What to Watch for in December
Beyond flu spikes and respiratory infections, December also brings:
- More patient elopements due to visitor distractions
- Higher risk of slip-and-falls during icy conditions
- Increased chances of door security breaches during shift changes
- Greater burnout among nursing and security staff
Real-time alerting tools can help identify incidents before they escalate, especially when paired with Bluetooth badges, zone-specific permissions, and auto-escalating notifications.
Explore our hospital industry solutions to see how we tailor safety technology to complex clinical environments.
Let Smart Tech Help Your Team Keep the Holidays Safe
Hospitals are more than care centers in December. They become community hubs, family meeting points, and emergency shelters during unpredictable weather.
That’s why your safety strategy should include more than just backup plans.
Call 1.800.451.7917 or contact us to learn how Secure Care Products can support your hospital’s safety goals this winter.
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About Secure Care Products
For the past 45 years, Secure Care Products, A Subsidiary of Valstone Systems Corporation USA, Inc, has been committed to providing improved safety and locating solutions through best-in-class service and innovative design for your most valuable assets. As the first company in the world to design and manufacture electronic monitoring equipment for wander-prone residents, we empower long-term care and healthcare facilities around the world. Using state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technologies, we keep people and things protected. Let us know how we can help you by calling 1.800.451.7917 or sending us a message.
