AHA co-hosts Capitol Hill briefing on workplace violence

The American Hospital Association and 10 other national healthcare organizations hosted a Capitol Hill briefing highlighting workplace violence and its effects on staff well-being and patient safety. Panelists included Tiffany Covarrusbias-Lyttle, MSN, RN, associate professor of nursing, University of Lynchburg, who developed trauma-informed response pathways and simulation-based education to strengthen post-incident support, reporting, accountability and workforce protections, particularly in rural communities. Reps. John Joyce, R-Pa., and John Courtney, D-Conn., also made remarks. The healthcare organizations issued a statement saying workplace violence “erodes the safety and dignity of healthcare workers, directly contributes to staff burnout and turnover, and staffing shortages, and compromises the quality of care and patient safety.” The AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence initiative contains resources and best practices for hospitals. (AHA News article, 9/17/26)