Emergency physicians had a strong supporter on their side during their Beacon Hill lobby day on Thursday, as they sought to enhance safety measures for healthcare workers and impose stricter penalties for assault charges.
“I rarely sponsor bills due to my position as the majority leader, but this particular bill held significance for me,” stated House Majority Leader Michael Moran. He expressed his commitment to addressing the issue of violence in health care settings after being informed about it by advocates. “There are only a few months remaining in this session.” The speaker expressed optimism about moving the issue out of the current committee and getting it passed by the end of July.
A bill sponsored by Moran (H 2381) was approved by the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security on May 22 and referred to the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. A new proposal aims to establish guidelines for hospitals to assess security risks, mandate the creation of violence prevention plans, enforce protected reporting procedures for safety incidents, and designate attacks on healthcare providers and first responders as felonies.
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Doctors and residents from the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians are focusing on advocating for changes to the involuntary commitment system for individuals struggling with alcohol and substance use disorders. They are also proposing a 10-year pilot program for overdose prevention centers to address the increasing number of opioid-related overdose deaths. Legislators have shown interest in those proposals, but they still require crucial committee votes to progress to the floor for debate before the formal sessions conclude next month.
Physicians have voiced their concerns to lawmakers about the worsening state of healthcare, highlighting issues such as the ongoing emergency room boarding crisis. This crisis is resulting in poorer outcomes for patients, avoidable deaths, provider burnout, and a worsening shortage of healthcare workers. According to Dr. Joseph Kopp, an emergency physician at Faulkner Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the current circumstances are causing physicians to feel overwhelmed and concerned about the state of the health care system.
The situation has reached a critical juncture. “We are unable to address the current issues we are facing while attempting to attend to patients in the waiting room,” Kopp expressed. “Hospitals are exploring various innovative approaches to address this issue. From providing care in hallways to facilitating early discharges, they are implementing a range of strategies.” However, it is clear that resolving this issue will require the involvement of the government and legislative processes.
According to Dr. Melisa Lai-Becker, chief of Mass General Brigham Community Emergency Medicine, a significant number of emergency physicians nationwide have faced threats, abuse, assault, and injury while on duty. According to a nurse, the current law categorizes incidents where a nurse is punched or kicked by a patient or visitor as simple assault, a misdemeanor, rather than the more severe charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
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