DNV GL Healthcare Addresses Violence in Hospitals with its Innovative Accreditation Approach

MILFORD, Ohio, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare workers face significant risks of job-related violence. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly three-quarters of all workplace assaults occur in healthcare settings. DNV GL Healthcare, the nation's fastest-growing hospital accrediting body, addressed this very issue in a well-attended webinar June 2018. It will also spotlight this topic at its 2018 Healthcare Symposium: The Future of Accreditation in Denver Oct 2-4, 2018.

Jim Sawyer, Director of Security Services for Seattle Children's Hospital, will be one of the presenters at the 2018 Healthcare Symposium to discuss what hospitals can do to protect staff who are the victims of domestic violence, stalking or similar situations. He notes that the most vulnerable place for a victim of domestic violence to be is their workplace parking lot. He will make a separate presentation on how hospitals can conduct a successful risk vulnerability assessment.

DNV GL Healthcare has pioneered a roadmap for hospitals to improve the delivery of healthcare services at every level, based on its adaptation of the ISO 9001 quality management system for the healthcare sector.  Using ISO 9001 in conjunction with requirements to meet the CMS Conditions of Participation allows hospitals to improve quality and enhance patient safety at the highest possible level.

As part of its hospital accrediting process, DNV GL Healthcare conducts a thorough Security Vulnerability Analysis (SVA), establishing and implementing a comprehensive Workplace Violence Program that is revisited annually

"People in hospitals are dealing with a lot of emotions, from all levels of staff to the stressed family members. As a result, we definitely see a rise in violence within the hospital setting which needs to be continuously addressed throughout all hospital departments across the board. It's our job to help hospital teams instill a safe environment for their staff and patients," says Patrick Horine, President of DNV GL Healthcare.

To address the increased risk of workplace violence in healthcare, DNV GL Healthcare held the webinar 'Workplace Violence, Security Vulnerability Analysis and Ensuring Sound Security Management,' where experts in hospital environment, operations and auditing shared relevant and rather grim statistics. More than half of the nurses who work in hospital emergency departments have experienced some form of physical violence while doing their jobs, with one in four experiencing such violence more than 20 times in the prior three years. Additionally, while media attention tends to focus on reports of workplace homicides, the majority of non-fatal and serious injuries of workplace violence incidents often go unreported.

During DNV GL's surveys with its hospital partners, close attention is paid to Section 99, Chapter 13 of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines, which focus on security at hospitals and other healthcare structures. DNV GL surveyors first determine which types of healthcare setting that is more likely to lead to violent acts. When working with its hospital partners, a code of conduct is put in place for employees, patients and their families. As part of the process, hospitals need to decide what kind of culture of security and enforcement works best for their institution.

DNV GL's 2018 Healthcare Symposium: The future of Accreditation will take place at the Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel in Denver, CO, October 2-4, 2018. Attendees can also have the opportunity to obtain up to 20 continuing education credits.

To register for DNV GL's 2018 Healthcare Symposium: The Future of Accreditation please click here.

To view the webinar, click here: Workplace Violence, Security Vulnerability Analysis and Ensuring Sound Security Management

As the nation's second-largest healthcare accreditation body, Gary Davis, Regional Manager for North America at DNV GL-Business Assurance, cites its "kinder and gentler" approach and its year-round partnership strategy as some of the keys to successfully accrediting hospitals and boosting quality improvement at a rate of 20% growth year over year. The majority of hospitals choose accreditation in order to be certified by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to receive federal funds and reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Hundreds of hospitals across the United States have switched to DNV GL Healthcare over the past decade. The organization accredits more than 500 hospitals in 49 states.

About DNV GL Healthcare

DNV GL Business Assurance is one of the world's leading certification bodies. We help businesses manage risk and assure the performance of their organizations, products, people, facilities and supply chains through certification, verification, assessment and training services. We combine technical, digital and industry expertise to empower companies' decisions and actions. Within healthcare we help our customers achieve excellence by improving quality and patient safety through hospital accreditation, managing infection risk, management system certification and training.

The DNV GL Group operates in more than 100 countries. Our 12,500 professionals are dedicated to helping our customers make the world safer, smarter and greener. www.dnvglcert.com/healthcare

Media Contact:
Faith Beaty
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SOURCE DNV GL Healthcare