2024 round-up: These incidents remind us that violence against healthcare workers is a very real problem
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
“Corporate medicine has driven a wedge between the patient and doctor. Patients blame the physician when their imaging or medications are denied. They become desperate and start to lash out." — Schonze Del Pozo, MD
“It's unacceptable that we've become desensitized to this reality. Our nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals are dedicated to saving lives and improving health outcomes. When we harm them, we're not just hurting individuals; we're compromising the very fabric of our healthcare system.” — Dilip Kumar, MD, DNB, @drdilipsmms
Find more of your peers' perspectives and insights below.
Acts of violence against healthcare workers are surging—putting a scary strain on an already burdened system. And the problem is only getting worse. For example, in 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers reported more than double the incidents of harassment they experienced pre-pandemic.[]
In 2024 alone, several incidents of violence against healthcare workers directly or in a healthcare environment took place. Here are some of the worst incidents from the last year.
In August, an “agitated” man wielded a handgun, pointing it at a Salem Hospital security worker. The Oregon hospital had to go into lockdown; fortunately, no injuries were reported.[]
A primary care and emergency physician in California was shot and killed in what reporters are calling a “targeted attack” while walking to his car, also in August.[]
In October, police responded to a gunman who fired multiple rounds near the emergency department at Baptist Health Hardin Hospital in Elizabethtown, KY. There were no injuries.[]
Also in October, a Miami-based Mount Sinai Medical Center doctor was attacked and “body slammed” at work by a disgruntled son of a patient, leading to multiple fractures and injuries.[]
An optometrist was seeing a patient in October when a man stormed in off the street and punched him, knocking him out. It’s unclear if or how the attacker knew the healthcare provider.[]
The scope of violence against healthcare workers
From patients’ family members attacking clinicians[] to psychiatric patients assaulting their mental healthcare providers,[] healthcare workers make up a vast majority (almost 75%) of all nonfatal workplace injuries due to violence, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.[]
The consequences for healthcare workers are all-too-real. “Medical professionals who faced violence have been known to develop psychological issues such as depression, insomnia, posttraumatic stress, fear, and anxiety, leading to absenteeism,” according to research published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry.[] “Many have lost their clinics, injured themselves, lost lives, and also tarnished their reputation as a professional due to these incidents.”
Related: Unsafe haven: The rise of violence against physicians in the workplaceRisk mitigation is a must
As Dilip Kumar, MD, DNB, writes on Instagram, “It's unacceptable that we've become desensitized to this reality. Our nurses, doctors, and healthcare professionals are dedicated to saving lives and improving health outcomes. When we harm them, we're not just hurting individuals; we're compromising the very fabric of our healthcare system.”
One key issue? Risk mitigation strategies haven’t exactly worked in the past, according to research published in eClinical Medicine. “Historically, mitigation efforts have failed to curb [workplace violence] leading to greater attention by media and policy makers with legislative action now a focal point for intervention,” the authors wrote. []
But the fight isn’t over. In October 2024, the American Hospital Association (AHA) partnered with the FBI to share resources aimed at helping people working in healthcare settings understand and reduce violence risks.[]
Your peers’ perspectives
Violence is usually born of extreme stress, with socioeconomic factors, long wait times, and lack of patient-doctor proximity as key culprits. “The time of the beloved Norman Rockwell family physician has sadly ended,” says Schonze Del Pozo, MD, a physician from Sacramento, CA.
“Corporate medicine has driven a wedge between the patient and doctor. Patients blame the physician when their imaging or medications are denied. They become desperate and start to lash out. This has led to threats to physicians and mental harm to doctors,” Dr. Del Pozo tells MDLinx.
Pamela Mehta, MD, an orthopedic surgeon based in San Jose, CA, tells MDLinx that she’s experienced certain instances where a patient is so frustrated and in so much pain that they lash out. “Sometimes it can get scary, as the patient could be a much larger male. I have had to use chaperones in these instances and also keep the exam door open,” she says.
Dr. Mehta offers some insights for risk reduction for other MDs: “I always try to mitigate the situation by using a calm but firm voice. I express to the patient that I am on their side and want to help them in any way that I can, but that if they speak with anger or use profanity, I will have to end the visit. Usually, this settles them down, as really their goal is to feel heard.”
Laura Heffern, DNP, FNP-BC, from Denver, CO, shares an experience with MDLinx in which an infant tested positive for methamphetamine, prompting removal from its parents. “I remember the mom and dad cornering me in the room and verbally threatening me to ‘not tell the cops anything, or else,’” she says. “It was a frightening experience for them, but also as a young nurse, I was really scared.” She says she declined counseling after the incident, and that it took her some time to really see the depth of the situation.
“Nurses see people in pain, in withdrawal, in grief, and often at their worst moments in life. But we can’t accept this as an excuse to accept violence in any form,” she says. Her best tips? Lead with empathy, but never hesitate to report an unsafe situation—and reach out for mental health help if you need it.
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