Reining in an Epidemic of Workplace Violence in Healthcare
Fred Burton offers strategies and solutions for navigating the surge in workplace violence incidents within the healthcare industry.
This article was originally featured in MedCity News
The murders of four healthcare workers earlier this year, including two physicians, by a patient at a medical center in Tulsa was a grave reminder of an ever-growing epidemic: deadly violence against those dedicated to saving lives.
The epidemic struck close to home here in Austin last year when a beloved 43-year-old pediatrician was killed following a hostage standoff with an attacker, a terminally ill pediatrician the doctor didn’t know, who committed suicide.
More than seven out of every 10 instances of workplace violence in the U.S. occur in a healthcare setting, according to the CDC. In the past few years, lawmakers and regulators have prioritized the issue. Last year, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Workers Act. Among other measures, it requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to create enforceable safety standards by 2025.
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