With the incidence of hospital violence on the upswing in recent years, a bipartisan bill introduced on June 7 by U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) aims to help improve protections for America’s hospital personnel.
“As a practicing physician for more than 15 years, I know just how critical to patient care it is that we work to ensure that hospitals are safe environments,” Rep. Bucshon said. “Unfortunately, over the past few years, there have been increased incidences of violence taking place at our hospitals.
“These rising levels of violence negatively impact the ability of our nation’s physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals — who are currently experiencing record levels of stress and burnout — to provide quality care for their patients,” he added.
The Safety From Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act, H.R. 7961, which Rep. Bucshon cosponsored alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), would provide legal penalties for individuals who knowingly and intentionally assault or intimidate hospital employees, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
H.R. 7961 is modeled after current protections for aircraft and airport workers, the summary says, and would criminalize assault or intimidation of hospital employees and includes protections for individuals who may be mentally incapacitated due to illness or substance use.
“The SAVE Act will put in place legal protections to help deter violence inside our nation’s hospitals and keep these vital institutions safe and secure for patients and our nation’s health care professionals,” said Rep. Bucshon.
The bill has garnered support from the American Hospital Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, the Indiana Hospital Association, and the Indiana Organization for Nursing Leadership.
“This legislation will take the important step to enhance the criminal penalty for someone who knowingly and intentionally enters a hospital and assaults an employee,” Rep. Dean said. “These tireless heroes deserve protections to ensure they are not victimized while trying to save lives.”