April marks Workplace Violence Awareness Month, bringing critical attention to an issue that disproportionately affects health care workers across the nation.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 73% of all nonfatal workplace violence incidents in the U.S. occur in health care settings, making it one of the most dangerous industries for front-line staff.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center recognizes this growing concern and has implemented a multifaceted strategy to combat workplace violence, including enhanced physical security at entrances, specialized behavioral threat response teams, active shooter training, patient codes of conduct, and additional Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD) coordination.
Steven Engstrom prioritized VUPD’s commitment to the VUMC community during his first year as assistant chief of Police and restructured the leadership team to focus on the mission.
- Michael Pring was promoted to Police Inspector/Chief Security Officer. He will concentrate on enterprise health care security and strategic technology initiatives, working closely with the Office of Legal Affairs, Risk Management, the Workplace Violence Committee and entity leadership.
- Charles Stevens was promoted to Major, primarily focusing on patrol operations to effectively deliver police and security services to the VUMC community.
- Marsha Hayes was promoted to Captain and is responsible for assisting with workplace violence initiatives, advancing community relations, and leading newly developed victim advocacy services.
- Major Randy Hunter has transitioned to a role dedicated to developing and managing the newly implemented weapons detection system program.
- Captain Shaun Jasper focuses on enhancing service efforts and acting as a liaison with the Vanderbilt Health Regional Hospitals and Clinics. This includes oversight of VUPD’s Community Service Officers, who now provide all security operations at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital in conjunction with Security Manager Trey Washington. Jasper also oversees numerous additional contract security at various Vanderbilt Health locations.
“The Vanderbilt University Police Department is dedicated to partnering with, protecting and supporting the entire Vanderbilt University Medical Center community. We continue to explore new strategic methods and innovative technologies to further our mission of delivering superior law enforcement services with integrity and pride,” said Engstrom, assistant chief of Police with the Vanderbilt University Police Department.
Workplace violence is more than just physical attacks. It includes any conduct or comments that create an uncomfortable, hostile or intimidating environment. Examples range from direct or indirect threats, sexual and other harassment, bullying and intimidation, to property damage and domestic violence that carries over into the workplace. Initiatives addressing workplace violence at VUMC are based on VUPD and Veritas reports — whether staff and faculty are targeted by patients, visitors, contractors or colleagues.
To support faculty and staff, VUMC offers multiple resources:
- Virtual and in-person training sessions
- Workplace Violence resource website
- Medical support for injuries that occur at work: Occupational Health Clinic is available for care and for help with reporting.
- Psychological support: Work/Life Connections-EAP addresses the emotional impact of a workplace violence threat or attack.
- Area walkthroughs: conducted by Emergency Operations and VUPD
- Specialized, confidential counseling through the SHARE Center (Sexual Harassment: Awareness, Response and Education)
- Educational materials like workplace violence posters and badge buddies
- Digital tools, including the VandySafe app: available in your phone’s app store and free for VUMC employees; includes a virtual ‘safe walk home’ program regardless of where you are walking to or from
- VERITAS: dedicated reporting system
VUMC empowers all faculty and staff to take action to address violence in the workplace. This commitment extends beyond physical safety to encompass psychological well-being, with post-incident counseling and proactive support systems in place.
“Many people come to seek care with conditions that impact their decision-making and impulse control. Staff may feel obligated to let harm done by these individuals be overlooked, and these incidents may not be reported. Our faculty and staff do not have to feel alone with the burden of violence at work because whether injuries are physical or emotional — harm at work isn’t just ‘part of the job,’” said Heather Kamper, LCSW, CEAP, coordinator of VUMC’s SHARE Center and EAP clinical counselor.
As staffing challenges continue across essential health care services, creating a safe work environment becomes even more crucial for retention and recruitment. By fostering a culture where aggressive behavior is deemed unacceptable and safety measures are consistently enforced, Vanderbilt Health aims to protect those who dedicate themselves to healing others.
For more information on workplace violence prevention resources, visit the VUMC Emergency Response Training website or contact emergency.preparedness@vumc.org to schedule specialized training.
