News: Violence a significant financial cost to U.S. hospital, says AHA

In 2023, the estimated cost of violence occurring at hospitals in the United States was approximately $18.27 billion, according to a new American Hospital Association (AHA) report.

The report, entitled The Burden of Violence to U.S. Hospitals, details the financial burden of preventative and post-event violence against hospital staff and equipment.

According to the AHA, “pre-event components” included “trainings, security and staffing, policy and procedure development, outreach to build public trust, facility modifications to prevent and mitigate harm, and investments in technology to monitor events.” These types of investments cost U.S. hospitals $3.62 billion.

On the other hand, “post-event costs” included costs for “health care, staffing, replacement and repair of infrastructure and equipment, legal costs, and community and public relations.” These types of investments were estimated at $14.65 billion.

"It is an unacceptable reality that those who dedicate their lives to healing should face the threat of violence,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack in a press release, “We know the enormous human and emotional toll violence takes on our communities and caregivers. […] With the increase in violent events within clinical settings across the country, the resources needed to protect hospital workers and care for victims have grown exponentially.”

The report noted that these financial estimates do not include the “cascading effects” on workers and communities, which include psychological harm, staff recruitment/retention, as well as reduced job satisfaction.

“To help provide additional protections for hospital workers,” the press release noted, “the AHA strongly supports the Save Healthcare Workers Act (H.R. 3178/S.1600), Introduced last month, this bipartisan legislation would make it a federal crime to assault a hospital worker on the job.”

Editor’s note: To read the AHA report, click here. To read the AHA press release, click here. To read the recent legislation, click here.