Congress must address violence against hospital workers | Viewpoint

The increasing rate of violence against America’s healthcare workers is a disturbing trend that requires swift and decisive action by Congress.

Dr. Eric E. Howell, MD

As a hospitalist, I’m a front-line physician caring for patients in an acute care hospital. Unfortunately, I’ve experienced and seen physical and verbal attacks in the hospital setting far too frequently.

Nationwide, hospital workers serve their communities, providing lifesaving care under what are already stressful, high-intensity situations. The absolute last thing we should have to worry about is the threat of violence when we go to work.

Yet, that is the reality too many of us face. Despite making up just 10% of the U.S. workforce, healthcare workers experience 48% of all nonfatal injuries due to workplace violence. According to federal data, we are also five times more likely to suffer an injury related to workplace violence than workers overall.

We know that this violence can lead to a deterioration of quality of life, burnout, and traumatic stress for physicians, which are linked to physical and mental health problems and, ultimately, impact patients’ quality of care.

America’s hospitals and health systems should be places of healing, hope, and health. As hospitalists, we specialize in the general medical care of hospitalized patients and excel at managing complex patients with multiple co-morbidities. But providing that safe, high-quality, patient-centered care becomes more difficult considering the rising tide of violence against healthcare professionals and staff continues unabated.

Hospitals are already doing what they can to prevent violent incidents, including bolstering security, strengthening monitoring and reporting practices, and fostering a culture of safety, among other efforts. My own hospital has installed panic buttons, trained staff in de-escalation techniques, and enhanced security. However, we also know these efforts alone are not enough to stop the increasing rates of violence against doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff. For that, we need the support of our leaders in Washington.

Fortunately, a group of bipartisan lawmakers in Congress recently introduced the Save Healthcare Workers Act (H.R.3178/S.1600)—legislation that would, for the first time ever, make it a federal crime to assault hospital workers and staff. We applaud Reps. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, as well Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Angus King, I-Maine, for introducing this much-needed solution.

Once passed into law, the Save Healthcare Workers Act would help prevent violence against healthcare workers by establishing strict fines and up to a 10-year federal prison sentence for anyone who intentionally incites violence against hospital employees. Under the new law, penalties could be increased even further if the attacker uses a deadly or dangerous weapon or inflicts bodily harm in the process.

This bill takes a balanced approach: recognizing the unique circumstances of people who may be mentally incapacitated due to illness or substance use, the legislation provides important protections for this vulnerable population.

The Save Healthcare Workers Act is long overdue. The increase of violence amid the COVID-19 pandemic—along with the emotional, physical, and mental toll the past few years took on America’s healthcare workforce—is a major reason why our healthcare system is struggling to attract and retain a talented workforce.

Not only is it our moral responsibility to ensure a secure environment for everyone who steps foot in a hospital, but we must also provide a safe and stable workplace to effectively address America’s growing healthcare workforce shortage. Congress should rally behind the Save Healthcare Workers Act and pass this important legislation as swiftly as possible.

We can all agree that violence has no place in our communities or our nation’s healthcare settings, where at-risk patients are healing, recovering, and, in some cases, fighting for their lives. By passing the Save Healthcare Workers Act, Congress can create a powerful deterrent against workplace violence in America’s hospitals and health systems so the doctors, nurses, specialists, technicians, and staff can do their jobs without the looming fear of violence.

Dr. Eric E. Howell, MD, MHM, is the CEO of the Society of Hospital Medicine, a founding member of the Healthcare Workforce Coalition.