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Imagine going to the hospital and having your doctor or nurse retrieve your vital medical records simply by scanning the palm of your hand. It is happening now at a local medical center.

Employees at Salem Community Hospital said they are the first in Ohio to have the new "Patient Secure" system. Infrared light is used to read veins running through your palm. Each person's vein pattern is unique, much like a fingerprint, but the vein scan is more accurate.

"It is a really good benefit for the hospital because we have a lot of patients with the same names and possibly the same birth dates," said Danielle Kiefaver, Salem Community Hospital. "We use the palm vein technology to make sure we are pulling the proper records."

Administrators said the new system will also help protect each patient's privacy as well as prevent possible identity theft. It can also immediately detect whether or not a patient's information is already in the hospital system. If the person is a new patient, the system securely saves their records for future use.