AHA supports violence prevention bill

The American Hospital Association supports a bill that would expand hospital-based violence intervention services and prevention programs for violent crime survivors. The Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2023, sponsored by Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., would establish a federal grant program to create or expand hospital-based violence intervention or prevention programs and study their impact on re-incarceration and hospital re-admittance rates to determine best practices. In related news, AHA released a case study showing how Bristol (Conn.) Health reduced recorded annual incidents of workplace violence from 152 to 24 within three years by upgrading its incident reporting system, boosting prevention education and forging an organizationwide safety culture. An AHA issue brief provides evidence-based tools to make the care environment safer. (AHA letter, 5/3/23)