Washington state hospital worker safety bill passes

The bill would increase the penalty for assaulting an employee, contractor, intern or volunteer of a state hospital

By Healthcare Facilities Today


Members of the Washington state Senate recently approved a measure that would increase protections for state hospital workers, according to an article on The Suburban Times website. The bill would increase the penalty for assaulting an employee, contractor, intern or volunteer of a state hospital who was performing his or her official duties to a third-degree crime.

Washington operates three state hospitals for the care of adults and children with mental illness: Western State Hospital and the Child Study and Treatment Center in Lakewood, and Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake. Proponents argue the bill would level the playing field for state hospital employees with every other medical provider in the state.

“State hospital workers deserve the same protections that you or I expect from our judicial system, regardless of the fact that they work in a potentially dangerous environment,” Sen. Steve O’Ban said, “perhaps even more so since they spend every day working closely with these unpredictable individuals.”

Read the article.

 

 



March 3, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Building Sustainable Healthcare for an Aging Population

Traditional responses — building more primary and secondary care facilities — are no longer sustainable.


Froedtert ThedaCare Announces Opening of ThedaCare Medical Center-Oshkosh

The organization broke ground on the health campus in March 2024.


Touchmark Acquires The Hacienda at Georgetown Senior Living Facility

The facility will now be known as Touchmark at Georgetown.


Contaminants Under Foot: A Closer Look at Patient Room Floors

So-called dust bunnies on hospital room floors contain dust particles that turn out to be the major source of the bacteria humans breathe.


Power Outages Largely Driven by Extreme Weather Events

Almost half of power outages in the United States were caused by extreme weather events.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.