Washington, DC, Might 07, 2025 –(PR.com)– The Healthcare Workforce Coalition applauds Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-02) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) for introducing vital bipartisan laws to guard America’s healthcare staff in opposition to violence and abuse within the office.

If handed, the Save Healthcare Employees Act (S. 1600/H.R. 3178) would create authorized penalties for people who knowingly and deliberately assault hospital staff. The laws would additionally strengthen the capability of hospitals to boost safety programs and extra successfully coordinate with regulation enforcement by establishing a grant program.

“The AHA commends Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Angus King and Representatives Madeleine Dean and Mariannette Miller-Meeks for his or her management in introducing the Save Healthcare Employees Act, bipartisan laws that might make it a federal crime to assault a hospital employees member on the job. Through the years, hospitals and well being programs have carried out quite a few protocols to stem office violence however they need assistance,” American Hospital Affiliation President and CEO Rick Pollack mentioned. “By enacting federal protections Congress can create a strong deterrent in opposition to office violence in hospitals and enhance penalties for many who hurt our caregivers. We urge Congress to assist this laws and stand able to work with them to make sure it turns into regulation at once.”

“With charges of violence skyrocketing in opposition to medical doctors, nurses, and different hospital employees, U.S. healthcare professionals are overdue for the improved protections included within the Save Healthcare Employees Act,” mentioned Eric E. Howell, MD, MHM, Chief Government Officer of the Society of Hospital Drugs (SHM). “If handed, this first-of-its-kind invoice would make it abundantly clear that any kind of bodily or verbal abuse in opposition to healthcare staff is not going to be tolerated. We urge Congress to go this commonsense laws rapidly.”

Violence in opposition to healthcare staff has dramatically elevated for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-four p.c of registered nurses report they’ve skilled bodily violence, 68% report they skilled verbal abuse in the course of the pandemic, and greater than 80% of emergency physicians report they consider the speed of violence in emergency departments has elevated.

The Save Healthcare Employees Act would topic anybody who knowingly assaults a hospital worker or contractor and interferes with the efficiency of their duties to fines and as much as 10 years imprisonment (or a most of 20 years ought to the attacker use a lethal or harmful weapon, inflict critical bodily damage, or commit an assault throughout a public well being emergency). Importantly, the invoice consists of protections for people who could also be mentally incapacitated as a consequence of sickness or substance use.

The Healthcare Workforce Coalition commends Rep. Miller-Meeks, Rep. Dean, Sen. Hyde-Smith, and Sen. King for his or her management on this invoice – and urges Congress to rapidly go the Save Healthcare Employees Act to deal with one of the crucial obvious issues in healthcare at the moment.

Concerning the Healthcare Workforce Coalition
Whereas there are a lot of voices advocating for addressing well being care workforce shortages, there may be not one collective voice urging motion this Congress. The Healthcare Workforce Coalition intends to be that voice, bringing stakeholders collectively throughout disciplines and the well being care continuum to advocate for commonsense options.