🔒House passes proposed bill to make assaulting a hospital worker a felony

A proposed bill aimed at protecting hospital employees from surging rates of workplace violence is one step closer to being signed into law as it has passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The bill, named “An Act Requiring Health Care Employers to Develop and Implement Programs to Prevent Workplace Violence”, includes several objects in order to both help protect hospital workers and hold assailants accountable. It was unanimously passed with 158 bipartisan votes. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association reports every 36 minutes a hospital worker faces an abusive incident, including physical assaults, verbal abuse, and threats. This frequency is up from every 38 minutes in 2022, every 49 minutes in 2021, and every 57 minutes in 2020. The bill’s passing was reported in a joint press release on Wednesday by three of the bill’s most ardent supporters: the MHA, the Massachusetts Nurses Association labor union, and the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East labor union. “Our healthcare workforce has endured violence at alarming rates for far too long,” Katie Murphy, MNA president, said in the release. “This House vote is a powerful acknowledgment of the crisis and an important step toward ensuring every healthcare worker has the protection we need to safely care for our patients.” One of its most groundbreaking objectives would be elevating assaults against healthcare workers to felony charges, with up to a five-year prison sentence and fines up to $5,000. Additionally, legislation would: require hospitals to complete risk assessments in order to enforce violence prevention programs based on its findings; create assessments and prevention plans and make them available to all employees and labor organizations; and enforce Department of Public Health licensing requirements, including regular reporting, bolstered job protections, and paid leave for assaulted workers. "Workplace violence is a very real and serious problem for the entire care team,” Cari Medina, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU, said in the release. The bill now must pass the state's Senate before it lands on Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for final approval or rejection. “This legislation is about a basic promise we owe every frontline healthcare worker: a safe environment to treat patients in need of care,” Steve Walsh, MHA president and CEO, said in the release. “We are grateful for the House’s support as our hospitals, the MNA, and 1199SEIU continue to collaborate to stem the tide of the current workplace violence crisis — especially as our healthcare system remains under significant strain.” Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.