03/04/2020

This week, an op-ed written by DHA President & CEO Wayne Smith and Marcy Jack, Chief Quality & Safety Officer for Beebe Healthcare urged the Delaware Senate to pass HB 144 to protect health care workers from violent assaults. The column was a rebuttal to a recent opinion piece in opposition to HB 144.

In the article, Smith and Jack raise awareness to the fact that health care workers are 4 times more likely to be the victims of workplace assaults than any other private industry. They also call on the Delaware Senate to pass House Bill 144 to increase penalties on those that intentionally assault health care workers.

Currently, assaulting a doctor or nurse is considered a harsher offence than an assault against other types of health care workers, such as a respiratory therapist, physical therapist, nursing assistant, patient safety attendant, etc. HB 144 would level the playing field and ensure that intentionally assaulting health care workers is second degree assault -- a felony offense. 

HB 144 passed the House without oppositon in January and is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate in March. 
 
Read the full article at Delawareonline: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/2020/03/04/rebuttal-take-stand-against-violence-health-care-workers-and-pass-hb-144/4938686002/​