The Oregon State Legislature is again considering the growing problem of violence against health care workers — people who are four times more likely to encounter workplace violence than other professions, according to the American Nurses Association.
State Rep. Travis Nelson, RN, (D-Portland), introduced HB 4088, which has been amended to include more protection. His original bill shared here contained broad language that would have shielded many offenders from prosecution. His amendment remedies this problem and simplifies the bill.
Status, as of Feb. 23: The amended bill is currently in the Joint Ways and Means Committee, where financial impacts on the state’s proposed budget are being considered. Allocations requested in the bill would fund grants for hospitals to comply with new requirements and for oversight by the Oregon Hospital Association.
At a recent hearing, Salem Health CEO Cheryl Wolfe submitted testimony to support this bill with the amendment.
This Feb. 25 issue of Common Ground may not have the most recent update — if interested in the status, contact Ruth Miles at 505-814-8316 or ruth.miles@salemhealth.org.