AHA Applauds Introduction of The Save Healthcare Workers Act

Rick Pollack
President and CEO
American Hospital Association

May 6, 2025

Every day, health care workers bravely serve our communities, providing lifesaving care often under stressful circumstances. It is unacceptable that these dedicated caregivers regularly face the threat of violence while working to help patients heal.

Ensuring a safe working environment for health care providers must be a national priority. Acts of violence not only jeopardize the physical and psychological health of victims, but they also disrupt patient care and contribute to staff burnout and workforce shortages. Protecting the health care workforce is important for their safety and for the overall quality of care. 

That’s why we are grateful to Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Angus King and Representatives Madeleine Dean and Mariannette Miller-Meeks for their leadership in introducing the Save Healthcare Workers Act (H.R. 3178/S.1600). This bipartisan legislation would make it a federal crime to assault a hospital staff member on the job. Over the years, hospitals and health systems have implemented numerous protocols to stem workplace violence but they need help. By enacting federal protections Congress can create a powerful deterrent against workplace violence in hospitals and increase penalties for those who harm our caregivers. We urge Congress to support this legislation and stand ready to work with them to ensure it becomes law without delay.

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About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.