Violence occurring in the workplace is more prevalent in the healthcare industry than in any other industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers accounted for 73% of all non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence in 2018 alone (the most recent year for which these statistics are available). In addition, workplace violence has also been linked to a reduction in the quality of patient care in an essential field already stressed by the reduction of qualified healthcare professionals due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Sixty-six percent of members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) responding to a 2024 internal survey said they have personally experienced violence in their workplace – that’s up from 50% in 2021. Seventy-two percent of respondents said their hospital or facility does NOT do a good job of protecting them from workplace violence.
 
As such, with these alarming statistics in mind, I intend to introduce legislation that will create the Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Act. This legislation is a companion to HB 2247 co-prime sponsored by Representatives Leanne Krueger and Bridget Kosierowski. The legislation does the following:
 

• Requires a health facility to establish a workplace violence prevention committee that will create, review, administer, and provide guidance on programs relating to the prevention of workplace violence at Commonwealth healthcare facilities.
• Requires the workplace violence prevention committee to annually perform a risk assessment evaluation of the factors that may put a healthcare provider or employee of a health facility at risk for workplace violence.
• Requires the workplace violence prevention committee to meet quarterly to review all cases of workplace violence and to perform duties as required.
• Requires the workplace violence prevention committee to prepare a report from the risk assessment and to establish a workplace violence prevention program.
• Requires the workplace violence prevention committee to provide training to employees and healthcare providers at the time of their hire and annually thereafter.
• Protects employees and other healthcare providers from retaliatory action for reporting instances of workplace violence.

 
It is important to note that an overwhelming percentage of respondents to the aforementioned survey support the Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Act. Consequently, we have a duty to ensure that healthcare workers of this great Commonwealth are afforded a safe, violence free workplace where these heroes and heroines can work and perform their duties without the fear of bodily harm or fear for their personal safety.

Please co-sponsor this important piece of legislation.