Philadelphia hospital workers are facing alarming episodes of on-the-job violence, impacting morale and perceptions of safety, according to an article last week in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Employees are pushing for increased security, federal legislation and training to make the hospitals safer places to work.
The report shared that police are regularly responding to reports of assaults at Philadelphia’s hospitals: between January 2022 and December 2023, there were 18 calls to Jefferson Einstein Medical Center, 32 from Jefferson University Hospital, 31 at Temple University Hospital, and 4 at Penn Presbyterian. However, these numbers may only reflect a fraction of the actual incidents, since assaults must escalate to the level of a crime to involve police.
The article noted that there is a “concerning rise in violence against hospital workers across the state and nation.” The 2021 Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation and Workplace Safety Annual Report likened the safety of working a hospital job to that of working at a manufacturing plant, due to the potential for injuries.
A recent “code pink” at Jefferson Einstein Medical Center involved a mother threatening staff with a knife as she tried to steal her baby from the NICU, after having recently lost custody of the child. In response to the incident, nurses requested a weapons detector at the front entrance, but instead were given a pizza party to boost morale, along with information on external mental health programs they could access. Allegedly, hospital leadership declined to meet with witnesses to the kidnapping to hear their concerns.
At Temple University Hospital, the nurses’ union has made debriefings following violent incidents a part of their contract, though they are still lobbying for weapons detectors at hospital entrances and cameras to deter thefts in the hospital garages. Penn Presbyterian has invested $28 million in weapons detection equipment and has distributed distress buttons that allow staff to immediately notify security.
There is proposed legislation for hospital employees in the works: the “Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act” would make assaults on hospital workers a federal crime and provide security grants to hospitals to increase safety.
However, even with legislation and security measures in place, incidents can still happen. If you have been a victim of violence at a Philadelphia hospital, and you would like to talk to an attorney experienced in cases involving injury from lax security, workplace injury or crime, please contact us.