Page 8 - Security Today, May/June 2019

A Healthcare Revolution Monitoring is in the midst of a technological revolution
BIy Paul Baratta
n 2017, the state of California passed Senate Bill 1299, usher- ing into law a set of regulations requiring California healthcare providers to take specific steps to prevent workplace violence and ensure a safe environment for both patients and caregiv- ers. The standard, championed by National Nurses United as a
“model for the nation,” covers a wide range of preventative measures, including the development of comprehensive risk assessment plans, creation of procedures to mitigate perceived risks, establishment of a response plan for violent incidents, and more. When passed, the law was hailed as a major landmark for workplace safety in the health- care industry.
Last year, Congressman Ro Khanna introduced H.R. 5223, a bill that would follow the example set by California on a national scale, offering healthcare providers throughout the country a similar level of protection. While the law has yet to pass, nursing organizations throughout the country continue to advocate on its behalf, view- ing the bill as an ideal opportunity to curb incidents of workplace
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violence throughout the country while simultaneously increasing the quality of patient care.
Why the sudden focus on violence in healthcare? The California law was only recently passed, and it didn’t take long for Congress to take up the fight on a national level. Is healthcare safety in crisis? Have we reached a tipping point?
Perhaps we have. The truth is that technological advancements in security and patient monitoring have given us the tools we need to ad- dress the issue of violence in new and innovative ways. Understand- ing the dangers faced by those in the healthcare industry is critical, and exploring the solutions available is essential.
Stemming the Rising Tide of Healthcare Violence
The 24-hour news cycle spends an alarming amount of time filling our homes (and our heads) with visions of tragedy and violence, but the truth is that violent crime is actually decreasing throughout the
HEALTHCARE SECURITY
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