AHA lauds legislation to protect healthcare workers from violence

Editor's Note

In a letter, the American Hospitals Association, on April 19, announced its support for the reintroduction of the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (H.R. 2584), which would give healthcare workers legal protections against assault and intimidation similar to that of flight crews and airport workers.

The bill also would establish a federal grant program at the Department of Justice to assist hospitals in their efforts to reduce violence by funding violence prevention training programs; coordination with law enforcement; and infrastructure improvements, like metal detectors and panic buttons, the letter says.