| The Honorable Madeleine Dean U.S. House of Representatives 120 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 | The Honorable Larry Bucshon U.S. House of Representatives 2313 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 |
Dear Representatives Dean and Bucshon:
On behalf of our nation’s hospitals and health systems, we are writing in support of your legislation, the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (H.R. 7961), which provides federal protections for health care workers who experience violence and intimidation in their workplace settings.
While our members have for many years had protocols in place attempting to protect their employees, the number of violent attacks against health care workers has increased steadily in recent years, with a sharp uptick during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies indicate that in the last two years, 44% of nurses reported being subject to physical violence and 68% reported verbal abuse. These experiences impact the individual caregiver, who may suffer from both physical and psychological trauma, and they can also disrupt care when providers fear for their personal safety, are distracted by disruptive patients or family members, or are traumatized from prior violent interactions. These types of incidents also consume hospital and health system resources that may impact care available for other patients.
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