LA CROSSE (WKBT) – Emplify Health by Gundersen is taking steps to combat the growing problem of violence against healthcare workers and hosted a panel discussion that brought together medical professionals, legal experts and law enforcement officials.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association reports that 44% of nurses have witnessed an increase in violence since the pandemic began, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated responses to protect healthcare workers.
The panel focused on explaining the legal process when violence is reported and identifying resources available to victims.
The discussion aimed to improve communication between health centers and the criminal justice system.
“The more we communicate, the better we all are, the people at Emplify don’t understand the criminal justice system and vice versa. So it’s good to have an understanding of what’s going on in other people’s system so that when we get a case we understand what’s been going on. And when the case comes to us, they’ll understand what’s going to happen, how they’re going to be involved and what information we need,” said La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke.
Emergency room physician Chris Eberlein emphasized the importance of maintaining a safe environment for everyone in the hospital.
“Our hospital is a central function of our community and a safety net. And we want to make sure it operates safely for staff, visitors and patients,” Eberlein said.
Wisconsin took legislative action to address this issue in 2020, enacting a law that makes it a crime to cause harm to nurses and other health care providers.
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