WVU Medicine joined the American Hospital Association (AHA) in recognizing Hospitals Against Violence (HAV) Day, annually observed on the first Friday in June.
Now in its eighth year, #HAVhope Friday: Day of Awareness — the annual recognition day of the HAV initiative — was established to increase public awareness of and call for an end to workplace violence in healthcare. It is also a time to adopt tools and resources to guide prevention, education and mitigation efforts.
“Incivility, bullying and violence are serious issues for healthcare workers, with nurses being at high risk for assaults and violence due to their close proximity to patients,” Mary Fanning, chief nursing officer at WVU Hospitals, said. “According to a 2021 Press Ganey Survey Report, two nurses per hour are assaulted in the acute care setting. Such acts of aggression — be they verbal or physical — are entirely unacceptable. These incidents not only have a serious effect on the wellbeing of the nurse in question but also their ability to care for their patients.”
Fanning has served as co-chair of WVU Hospitals Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee since January 2020.
Although healthcare workers are five times more likely to be subjected to workplace violence than employees in any other professional sector, there remains no federal law to protect them from assault or intimidation. The AHA is asking Congress to enact the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (H.R. 2584/S. 2768), introduced by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), to ensure protections exist for all healthcare employees, something WVU Medicine strongly supports.
In fact, Mark Boucot, president and CEO of WVU Medicine’s Garrett Regional Medical Center and Potomac Valley Hospital, joined members of Congress and hospital and physician leaders from across the nation for a Capitol Hill briefing to advocate for the SAVE Act’s passing, earlier this year.
“Support for the SAVE Act would provide much needed protections for our healthcare workers,” Fanning said. “Our staff work tirelessly to care for the health and well-being of those in our communities. This legislation would create a safer working environment and ensure that assailants are appropriately held accountable for their actions.”
