‘Epidemic’ of violence in hospitals demands more attention and other letters

The article “Healthcare workers face violence ‘epidemic’ ” could not have come at a more appropriate time—during National Patient Safety Awareness Week. Creating a healing environment for patients includes creating a safe space for healthcare workers to deliver care.

Last year, Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) added language to the HHS’ budget calling for a report on options to reduce assaults on hospital staff. The appropriation directs the department “to work with the Department of Labor to provide a report to the Committees on Appropriations in the House of Representatives and the Senate 180 days after enactment on how they can collaborate to provide protections and support safe environments for health care workers, patients, families and visitors.” The report should arrive later this month.

Hospital and healthcare workers are four times more likely to be victims of workplace violence than their peers. A survey of Missouri hospitals found 54% view workplace violence or violent behavior as among their top three organizational threats. Unfortunately, federal guidance from the CMS and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration do not align. CMS regulations focus on patients, while OSHA focuses on employees. Hospitals need clarity and consistency.

Protecting patients and caregivers will require both regulatory and cultural change. Communities have an important role to play in ensuring that hospitals are a safe space.
In the article, Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic said, “It is an epidemic, because it is an epidemic that nobody speaks about.” 

It’s time for that to change.

Herb Kuhn
President and CEO
Missouri Hospital Association

Regarding “Why prescription drug list prices matter," thanks for the enlightenment about the move to coinsurance. I guess that’s another way to cost-shift to patients (along with copay accumulator programs, etc.).

It’s a shame that we have a system that reinforces high drug list prices with back-end rebates after the point of sale. So while the rebates go to holding down premiums, patients who actually need drugs still need to pay their coinsurance based on the full price. As some have observed, it’s the sick subsidizing the healthy—the opposite of how insurance should work.

Christopher Lee
Clinical solutions marketing manager
Family Health Centers of San Diego

Regarding “As value-based efforts lag, push for price regulation gains momentum,” there is no way for the central planners to develop schemes (all are simply remanufactured variants of HMOs) that will produce value. In the end, their only tool is pricing controls. This can be described in no other way than the use of government coercion to achieve an “end good for all of us” by the self-proclaimed wizards of a healthcare utopia—socialized medicine.

What can be guaranteed with this price control form of rationing is shortages. The idiocy of increasing demand relative to decreasing providers with mandated pricing restrictions cannot work.

Why not rely on the concepts of consumer freedom and competition that have driven value in virtually all other forms of trade and markets?

Dr. Allan Dobzyniak
Eastport, Mich.