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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 20, 2015 08:25 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Florindo J. Fabrizio |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Healthcare Facilities Violence Prevention Act |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation creating the “Healthcare Facilities Violence Prevention Act.” This important legislation is geared at protecting the selfless, tireless doctors, nurses, therapists, and other health care professionals who care for us when we are most vulnerable by preventing violence. On July 24, 2014, a caseworker was killed and a physician wounded by a patient in the outpatient psychiatric unit at Mercy Fitzgerald Wellness Center in Darby, Pennsylvania. According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare and social assistance workers were the victims of approximately 11,370 assaults by persons nationwide; a greater than 13% increase over the previous year. Almost 19% (i.e., 2,130) of these assaults occurred in nursing and residential care facilities alone. Unfortunately, experts believe that many more incidents probably go unreported. In 2010, BLS reported the rate of workplace violence-related nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work for health care and social assistance workers was 15.1 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2012. For private industry overall, the rate was 4.0. Common factors associated with violence include long wait times in emergency departments, patients who have a history of violence, patients with psychiatric histories, patients under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to a study published January, 2014 in the Journal of Emergency Medicine. Please consider sponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB326