MHA received media interviews during the week of November 21 regarding its research on violence in healthcare settings and its relationship with hospitals and community mental health organizations.
On November 18, the Oakland Press published an article about Lawrence Technological University's new Medical Violence Reduction Center in Southfield, Michigan. MHA Keystone Center is a founding partner of the Center, which aims to develop strategies to reduce violence, increase safety, and improve patient care.
MHA CEO Brian Peters, interviewed for this article, emphasized the importance of increasing penalties for individuals who assault health care workers.
“This disease is occurring in UP, from small rural hospitals to large medical centers and everywhere in between,” Peters said. “We haven't shown the public that it's not OK,” he said.
Second Wave Media also published an article on Nov. 20 about the benefits of collaboration between Michigan hospitals and local mental health agencies.
“In Michigan, our hospital members work with local mental health agencies to ensure that patients who present to emergency departments for behavioral health care receive the care they need, where they need it, when they need it. “We work with them on a daily basis,” said Lauren Lapine, MHA's senior director of legislative and public policy.
Lapine discussed state grants to expand capacity in inpatient facilities across the state and gave examples of several hospitals in the state on how to use the funds. She also mentioned Senate Bill 806, which would expand three-hour assessment responsibilities by allowing clinically qualified staff to perform pre-hospital screening of patients presenting to the emergency department.
Members with questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at MHA.
