Violence in Missouri’s Hospitals

The Missouri Hospital Association, in conjunction with hospitals around the state, began collecting data in January 2019 regarding workplace violence. They wanted to quantify the prevalence of these incidents in Missouri hospitals. Key findings from the preliminary data, collected January to July, indicates:

• The majority of incidents reported are directed at employees by patients or visitors
• Two-thirds of these incidents involved an individual with a mental health diagnosis
• Emergency departments report the highest number of incidents

In 2014, the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems established a Workplace Safety Initiative to identify solutions and pilot interventions to mitigate violence in the care environment. Missouri is one of many states that are adopting Oregon’s model.

The September 2019 Missouri Hospital Association Trajectories newsletter provides more details on the Missouri data that has been reported, the Oregon model, and tips for hospitals to foster safe care environments.