Shootings at two South Carolina hospitals in less than 24 hours have turned attention to state laws on hospital violence, according to an article on The Post-Courier website.
Current laws do little to deter patients from lashing out at healthcare workers and should be reformed, some say.
The S.C. Hospital Association has, since at least 2016, been pushing for legislation that would strengthen penalties against anyone who assaults a healthcare worker on the job or someone in a healthcare facility.
South Carolina is one of three states that lacks any enhanced penalty for violence against healthcare workers, according to a 2016 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Backup Power Is a Lifeline: What Healthcare Facility Managers Must Get Right
3 Pillars of Stronger Cybersecurity in Healthcare
Piedmont Fayette Hospital to Build New Patient Tower
Texas HHSC Announces Construction of New Lubbock Psychiatric Center
Armed Standoff at West Virginia Hospital Reminds of the Need for Safety Measures