Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan legislative package at Sparrow Hospital last month that would increase the punishment leveled against people, excluding patients, that assault health care workers.
As she signed HB 4520 and HB 4521 , sponsored by Reps. Mike Mueller (R-Linden) and Kelly Breen (D-Novi), Whitmer was surrounded by nurses and doctors, who she said were facing an increase of violence, even as they faced a shortage of workers. Her response was signing this legislation into law, which could help stem the tide.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and health care workers who routinely step up to protect our communities and save lives,” Whitmer said. “Unfortunately, health care workers face rising rates of bullying, viciousness, and violence.”
The new law increases assault and battery to a 93-day misdemeanor and $1,000 fine, aggravated assault to a one-year misdemeanor and $2,000 fine, and felonious assault to a four-year felony and a $5,000 fine.
An exemption for patients was carved out in the legislation.
Jessica Lannon, a nurse at Sparrow, told stories before the bill signing about assaults on colleagues and her own experience with a man who pulled a large plumber’s wrench and threatened all the workers, saying if his baby “did not come out perfect, we would all pay.”
“Too many workers are forced to leave nursing and other healthcare professions because of the dangers we face every day. We are afraid to come to work,” Lannon said.
E.W. Sparrow Hospital President Margaret Dimond said she hoped this would help ease the anxiety of those considering taking up the profession and help make it more attractive.
“There are consequences now to injuring any of our frontline workers, and we will publicize it in terms of schools or recruitment. Also, it’s assuring our workers that we’re shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of protection and there are legal consequences that we can lean on,” Dimond said.
Healthcare workers are the second-most assaulted professionals in the country, with 8,590 attacks that resulted in at least a day away from work in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Whitmer said there was no excuse for people who are visiting the hospital to attack the workers for trying to do their job.
Breen said it wasn’t just the bills signed today that were important, but wanted to look at the overall effort being made to reduce violence.
“You have to think, ‘Holy crap, what is causing all this additional violence?’” Breen said.
She said there were de-escalation tactics that are used by law enforcement being taught in schools and hospitals.
“Doctors, nurses, and other medical workers – part of the team of frontline heroes who saw us through the worst of the pandemic – deserve greater protections from physical violence on the job,” Breen said.
This story courtesy of MIRS, a Lansing-based news and information service.