Violence against health-care workers is shockingly prevalent in Hawaii. In 2017, there were 1,175 incidents of assault against workers, and these were just the ones reported in a survey of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii (HAH) members.

In Hawaii as in the rest of the nation, violence against health-care workers is already five to 12 times more likely than for other professions, and is on the rise.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national rate of nonfatal workplace violence against all workers was 2.8 incidents per 10,000 workers. For hospital workers, the rate was 14.7 incidents per 10,000 workers. For professionals in nursing and residential settings, the rate was an astonishing 35.3 incidents per 10,000 workers.

Health-care workers are vulnerable because they perform their jobs in hospitals, nursing homes and other care settings that can be accessed by the public. Some patients or visitors target and threaten health-care workers intentionally. Other health-care professionals are vulnerable because they visit patients who are cared for at home, where there is no on-site security.

The physical attacks against health-care workers in Hawaii have included dragging by the neck, attacking the pregnant belly of an expectant nurse, and body blows with golf clubs. Violence against health-care workers is not perpetrated only by patients. Approximately 30 percent of violence is caused by patient families or visitors.

Solving the problem of violence and the threat of violence in every health-care setting is not a simple task, and there is no one solution. We can instead take some practical steps toward protecting a vulnerable class of citizens on whom we literally depend for our health and lives.

For example, hospitals and other health-care organizations across the state are working to train and educate workers on how to deal with potential violence, recognize the warning signs, and develop tools for de-escalating tense situations.

What HAH members are asking for in House Bill 1906 is a simple change in the existing law that already applies to emergency room workers and first responders.

This existing law makes it a felony to assault these workers, and we want to extend the protections under that law to other health-care workers throughout the hospitals, as well as to those caring for patients in nursing facilities and home care settings.

This legislation applies only to those who intentionally or knowingly assault health-care workers. Individuals with dementia or mental illness are not affected by this bill.

Rather, the intent is to make improvements to a system that is not working. Under current state law, assault outside of the emergency room is a misdemeanor, which can be expunged from an individual’s record.

Health-care employees believe that, because of the lesser charge, the perpetrators of the assault are often getting off with a “slap on the wrist.” Injured health-care workers go through major trauma, but, in the end, there are no real deterrents or consequences for offenders. Some employees have expressed concern that repeat offenders may even be allowed back into their facilities.

This legislation, if passed, will help to increase morale and retain talented employees, especially amid the current shortage in our health-care workforce. No one should have to consider assault a necessary part of their work.

Hilton Raethel is CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii.