The search continues for a woman, police say, tried to force her way into the pediatrics unit Monday at Kern Medical Center. 17 News spoke with administrators and nurses at several local hospitals, including Bakersfield Memorial, Mercy, and KMC to find out what security systems are in place for newborns.On Monday, police and employees say a suspicious woman tried to open security doors near the Pediatrics and Neo-natal Intensive Care units at Kern Medical Center .
Police describe the woman as Hispanic, in her 40's, 5'6", 160 pounds, wearing navy blue medical scrub pants and a white medical scrub shirt.
Incidents like this raise concern for parents with newborns. Many hospitals like Memorial, Mercy, and KMC say they take extra precautions when it comes to security. They have systems in place in the NICU that are locked down and supervised by personnel.
Bettina Kinsman is a registered nurse. "Our newborns here have an umbilical cord clamp that has a little square on here as a security system, and when the baby is moved outside of any areas that are maternal-child areas, then we have an alarm go off," she explained.
As for the incident at KMC, the hospital says its staff handled the matter appropriately.
Meantime, police are working on a sketch to help identify the woman.
