Lawrence Tech studying assaults against health care workers

Assaults against health care workers, in the form of physical violence, threats or other forms of abuse, have been on the rise for more than a decade, experts say.

Nationally, 40% of health care workers say they have experienced workplace violence in the past two years, and 85% of emergency department physicians say the violence has increased over the past year.

In 2020, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services surveyed registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who worked in a variety of settings. Overall, 40% reported they had experienced some form of violence over the past year; with 45% of those working in a hospital experiencing incidents. For those working in a behavioral health or psychiatric facility, the number rose to 57%.

Of those who reported they had experienced some form of assault, at least 70% said there had been physical violence.

In some cases, patients' friends or family are responsible for the incidents. But patients themselves commit the majority of the offenses, according to the MDHHS study.

No one has taken a long look at why these assaults are occurring and how to reduce their frequency, said Stacey Frankovich, director of the new Healthcare Violence Reduction Center at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield.

Lawrence Tech, which initiated a nursing school and other health-related courses of study in recent years, is well positioned to research the issue, Frankovich said.

LTU has partnered with the Michigan Health & Hospital Association and hospitals around the state.

Funded by grants from several entities, the center's representatives have shadowed health care workers to discover how and why the assaults occur.

By mid-year 2025, the center expects to finish compiling data and can begin to make recommendations to decision makers at hospitals and other facilities.

"We want to really see the frontlines," Frankovich said. "The true picture isn't being painted here."

Incidents are underreported because many health care workers think assaults are part of the job, Frankovich said, contributing to burnout and recruitment challenges.

Frankovich was most recently director of the MedHealth life sciences initiative of TechTown, Wayne State University's technology-focused business accelerator. Earlier, she worked for Oakland University's Macomb-OU Incubator and was director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Macomb Community College.

Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, believes a lack of prosecution may be part of the assault problem. Increased penalties would also discourage these attacks, he said.

"We haven't signaled to the public that it is not OK," he said.

Violence in health care settings is "part of a broader societal problem," he said.

"It occurs in small rural hospitals in the UP to big medical centers and everything in between," he said.

Legislation in both the U.S. House and Senate, known as the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act, would give health care workers federal protections from workplace violence, similar to the current protections for airport and aircraft employees, Peters said.

The MHA sent a letter to all of Michigan's Congressional delegates in support of the SAVE Act.

Both bills are pending in their respective judiciary committees.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation last year that increases the fines against those who assault health professionals or medical volunteers.

House Bill 4520, sponsored by state Rep. Mike Mueller, R-Linden, increases fines against those who assault these employees or volunteers without a weapon.

House Bill 4521, sponsored by state Rep. Kelly Breen, D-Novi, increases fines against those who assault health professionals or medical volunteers on the job with a weapon. Both bills also require health facilities to post signs describing the enhanced fines.

All employees in health care settings are at risk, even those with non-medical duties, such as those who process paperwork. But nurses bear the brunt of it, Peters said.

"There are more of them. They are front and center with patients," he said.

"They bear it all with such grace," Frankovich said.

Employees in emergency departments also bear the brunt, according to Frankovich, because of the high number of patients with either behavioral health or substance use issues.

Also, they're dealing with crises that range from criminal matters to homelessness, she said.

The MDHHS study indicated that most health care facilities offer training on how to de-escalate a tense situation, how and when to call for help, how to protect personal safety and more.

Corewell Health, formerly Beaumont, and McLaren Health Oakland declined to comment on how they train their employees or what steps they take to prevent assaults.

Henry Ford Health said in a statement that, "De-escalation training starts at time of hire and team members get re-training on a yearly basis. We also have safety talks that go out throughout the year to remind employees of situational awareness and safety tips related to personal safety."