By Brianna Kraemer
Carolina Journal
- According to a January 2024 poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians, 91% of emergency physicians said that they, or a colleague, were a victim of violence in the past year.
A new state law takes effect in October that requires armed law enforcement officers to be present in North Carolina hospital emergency departments.
Passed last year with bipartisan approval, the law aims to enhance the safety of patients, staff, and visitors amid growing concerns about violence in healthcare settings. “Protect Healthcare Workers from Violence” is a section of House Bill 125 that starts October 1 with an annual report due to DHHS from hospitals beginning one year later.
According to a January 2024 poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians, 91% of emergency physicians said that they, or a colleague, were a victim of violence in the past year. In a 2022 ACEP survey, 85% of emergency physicians said they believe the rate of violence experienced in emergency departments has increased over the past five years.
The top reasons attributed for violence in the emergency department are inadequate punitive consequence towards the attacker, behavioral health patients, and an absence of adequate protective mechanisms for physicians/staff. The number one ranked solution among polled physicians was increase security, such as security guards, cameras and metal detectors.
Healthcare providers across North Carolina, including major systems like UNC Health and ECU Health, have been actively preparing to comply with the new requirements as October approaches, working closely with law enforcement and healthcare teams to enhance security in their facilities.
In a comment to the Carolina Journal, UNC Health said in addition to its regular communications with law enforcement agencies, their security teams are actively working with all of their affiliated hospitals to ensure compliance with this new legislation.
“We are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our healthcare workers and protect them from any potential threats,” said Alan Wolf, a media spokesperson at UNC Health. “Our top priority has always been the health and safety of everyone on our hospital campuses and we will continue focusing on that even outside of the requirements of HB125.”
ECU Health has also taken proactive steps in response to the legislation. In partnership with the ECU Health Police Department, safety efforts include a systemwide comprehensive risk assessment and continued education for team members.
“Like all health systems across the nation, we are not immune to the disturbing trend of increased violence against health care workers,” a spokeperson with ECU Health said. “ECU Health is committed to creating a safe and healing environment where patients, visitors and team members feel valued and respected. As part of that commitment, and in alignment with House Bill 125, we continue to enhance safety initiatives across the health system.”
The system has also made significant investments over recent months in cutting-edge technology to reduce and ultimately eliminate aggression and violence in their facilities.
The North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) expressed support for safety efforts and said hopitals are working to comply with the requirements.
“Creating safe environments for patients, staff, and visitors is a top priority for North Carolina hospitals,” said Senior Director of Communications Stephanie Strickland. “They are doing their part to comply with the Hospital Violence and Protection Act which requires hospitals to have armed law enforcement officers in emergency departments, as of October 1, 2024, among other provisions like providing de-escalation training and collecting data on incidents to the NC Department of Health and Human Services.”
Hospitals that cannot immediately comply with the new law may submit requests for an extension or a report explaining why a law enforcement officer is not required.
NCDHHS will oversee the compliance process and issue a report by December 1, 2025, summarizing the findings from hospitals’ safety efforts and their implementation of the law. Data collected from hospitals will include the number of assaults occurring in or on hospital grounds that required the involvement of law enforcement and the number of incidences where patient behavioral health and substance use issues resulted in violence in the hospital and the number that occurred specifically in the emergency department.
