Chicago - The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) and AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence initiative, released “Creating Safer Workplaces: A guide to mitigating violence in health care settings.” This resource for health care and security leaders offers recommended action steps, case studies, best practices and individual solutions to build a safer workplace.

 

This important tool is being distributed to healthcare C-suite leaders and healthcare security leaders, in an effort build a safer workplace. 

 

“The collaboration between IAHSS and AHA addresses workplace violence in a collaborative way, that brings hospital leadership and security leadership together. With the support of healthcare leadership, security departments can work with multi-disciplinary teams to address the workplace violence epidemic,” said IAHSS President Paul Sarnese, CHPA, CAPM, MSE, MAS. “IAHSS is dedicated to providing tools and training to combat workplace violence and support the healthcare industry.”

 

IAHSS encourages all healthcare security leaders to review “Creating Safer Workplaces: A guide to mitigating violence in health care settings” and discuss with the leadership in their organization. “This collaborative guide connects header care leaders and security leaders in a way, that encourages them to work together to evaluate current practices, and supports creating a safer workplace,” said Sarnese.

 

In spring 2021, IAHSS met with the AHA’s HAV Advisory Group — comprised of clinicians and hospital leaders from across the nation, along with experts within the AHA — to develop this guide. IAHSS would like to thank the following contributors:

 

Connie Packard, IAHSS vice president/treasurer and chief of public safety, Boston Medical Center

 

Paul Sarnese, IAHSS president and assistant vice president of safety, Virtua Health

 

Kevin Tuohey, IAHSS past-president and chief safety officer, Boston University

 

Kenneth Bowman, CEO, UW Health Rehabilitation Hospital

 

Cindy Kelleher, CEO, University of Maryland Rehabilitation Hospital

 

Mary Beth Kingston, Ph.D., R.N., chief nursing officer, Advocate Aurora Health

 

James Leonard, M.D., president and CEO, Carle Foundation

 

Erik Martin, D.N.P., R.N., chief nursing officer, Norton Children’s Hospital

 

Nicholas Mendez, CEO, PAM Specialty Hospital of Hammond

 

Ann Schumacher, president, CHI Health Immanuel

 

Todd Sklamberg, president, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center

 

Tony Slonim, M.D., CEO, Renown Health

 

Claire Zangerle, D.N.P., R.N., chief nurse executive, Allegheny Health Network