Committee backs bill to study and incentivize workplace‑violence prevention in hospitals

The House Health & Human Services Committee unanimously advanced Senate Bill 166 after testimony from nurses, hospital executives and safety specialists who described rising assaults, threats and verbal abuse against health‑care workers.

Sponsor Rep. Frey said the measure asks the Health Care Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (the Chase board, referenced in testimony) to add workplace‑violence prevention metrics to its quality incentive framework and to look for funding sources to support hospitals’ prevention efforts. The bill excludes small hospitals under a fixed size threshold from the requirement.

Why it matters: Witnesses cited national and local figures showing higher injury risks for health‑care workers than for many other professions. “Workplace violence in healthcare has risen sharply,” said Denver Health’s representative; the association reported multiple weekly incidents at a single large hospital and noted under‑reporting of non‑physical attacks. Nurse and emergency physician witnesses tied workplace violence to workforce burnout and patient‑safety risks.

What supporters said: The Colorado Hospital Association and the Colorado Nurses Association backed the bill as a first step to convene stakeholders, identify evidence‑based mitigation strategies and incentivize facilities to adopt them. UCHealth cited a multidisciplinary review that produced operational changes after a violent incident and urged a process‑oriented metric approach.

Vote: The committee voted 13‑0 to send SB 166 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.

Quote: “No one should go into work with the fear of verbal or physical violence,” Colorado Nurses Association executive director Mark Longshore said. The bill won broad support from providers and public‑health staff.