Legislation increasing penalties for threatening behavior against healthcare workers is moving ahead in Cleveland City Council, overcoming skepticism from some council members.
The legislation would make it a first degree misdemeanor – up to 30 days in jail and a $1000 fine - to menace a hospital worker and requires at least a three day jail sentence if the menacing occurs while on the job.
The ordinance was first introduced last year but was held in council’s safety committee because of concerns about who would be charged under the law and whether hospitals in Cleveland are doing enough to address workplace safety issues.
Councilmember Stephanie Howse-Jones added an amendment to require data collection on who is being charged.
“Because when you have a criminal justice system where all people are not being treated the same, and fairly, you need to be able to document who actually is being prosecuted versus who isn’t,” said Howse-Jones during a safety committee meeting Wednesday.
“Menacing” is defined as causing “another to believe that the offender will cause physical harm to the person or property of such other person or member of his or her immediate family.”
For the increased penalties to apply, health care facilities will have to offer deescalation and crisis intervention training to their employees.
Council also encouraged the hospital systems to allow workers to file police reports without taking personal time off, and each hospital at the committee meeting – MetroHealth, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals – said they have a special category of time off for reporting incidents.
According to a presentation by officials from Cleveland Clinic at a committee meeting in November, there’s been a 34% increase in workplace violence incidents at Cleveland Clinic locations in Cleveland, though it’s unclear how many were menacing.
University Hospitals has installed panic buttons in certain areas of the hospital and barriers around nurses’ stations, according to Jason Pirtz, Chief Operating Officer at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, and a “non-punitive reporting culture” so caregivers feel comfortable filing reports against patients.
“As a registered nurse now for 27 years, my duty has always been to serve patients first and report incidents against myself last,” Pirtz said. “That is why this is a nationwide crisis.”
The legislation goes next to finance committee next before consideration for passage by the full council.
