Hospital and health system boards must play an active role in addressing rising violence against healthcare workers, the American Hospital Association said in an Aug. 21 boardroom brief.
The association is calling on boards to ensure their hospital or health system has an organizational strategy to mitigate workplace violence with data collection, education and senior level accountability as key components.
To initiate discussions around building a safer workplace, AHA recommended board members start by asking the following five questions:
1. Does your organization have a workplace violence prevention policy?
2. Is the board receiving updates on programs and policies related to workplace violence prevention?
3. Is your organization routinely reporting data on incidents of violence to leadership, including the board?
4. Does the organization have a strategy and dashboard to assess workplace safety and is this shared with the board?
5. If your Community Health Needs Assessment identifies violence as a priority, is the board receiving updates on programs and partnerships that aim to reduce community violence?
Read the full brief here.