Workplace violence prevention
Minnesota’s hospitals and health systems want to ensure that
hospitals are places of healing and safety. Hospitals and health systems are
constantly working on violence prevention, including providing ongoing, regular
training for health care staff and refining security plans and incident
response plans.
In 2013, a public-private coalition of health care
stakeholders including MHA, MDH, the Minnesota Medical Association, the
Minnesota Nurses Association, Care Providers of Minnesota, LeadingAge Minnesota
and a number of health care facilities throughout the state was formed to
provide resources to hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics and other
facilities to help identify risks for violence and put effective strategies in
place. This stakeholder group published a gap analysis on workplace
violence prevention in 2014.
In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law that hospitals must design and implement
preparedness and incident response plans for violence that takes place on their
premises and provide training for employees. Hospitals were required to have
these plans in place by Jan. 15, 2016.
In 2016, MHA, MDH and the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association
formed a healthcare and law enforcement collaborative to improve collaboration when patients are involved with law enforcement.