Employment law in healthcare saw various changes in 2019, including those related to workplace violence and continuing education.
To identify some of the biggest changes, Pittsburgh law firm K&L Gates compiled a 2019 Year in Review.
Here are four changes to employment law issues in healthcare, based on the compilation and Becker's Hospital Review coverage.
1. Last October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law to require physicians, surgeons, nurses, and physician assistants to complete implicit bias training as part of their continuing education. The requirement takes effect in 2022.
2. HHS published a "conscience protection rule" in May 2019 that would allow healthcare workers to refuse care due to their personal moral or religious beliefs. A federal judge found the rule unconstitutional last November. The Justice Department has filed an appeal challenging the ruling.
3. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., was introduced in February 2019. Under the act, healthcare employers would be required to implement a violence prevention plan to protect employees. The House passed the legislation Nov. 21; it is pending in the Senate.
4. Proposed legislation in Illinois would establish limits on the number of patient who can be assigned to registered nurses. Nurse-to-patient ratios would vary by unit. The proposal, introduced last March, is pending in the Illinois General Assembly.
Read the law firm's full compilation, including recommendations for action this year, here.