The Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act (S. 2768) would provide federal protections for health care workers who are victims of violence in the workplace.
Despite academic medical centers like Weill Cornell Medicine having protocols in place to protect employees and promote a safe environment for patient care, attacks against health care workers have unfortunately increased in recent years. Health care workers face both physical and emotional stress from these experiences, which may affect their ability to provide the best care possible. Currently, there are no federal laws protecting health care workers from workplace violence or intimidation.
The SAVE Act attempts to help address this issue by offering federal protections for health care workers by classifying violence against them as a federal crime and establishing corresponding penalties, which would take into account mental health issues, among other things. Weill Cornell Medicine is supportive of this legislation.