Violence against health care workers while they're on the job will now be a first-degree misdemeanor with mandatory jail time in the city of Akron.
Akron City Council passed legislation Monday adding health care workers to its existing menacing ordinance, which outlines penalties for violence against public employees and utility workers.
Assaults and other violence against health care employees have increased across the country in recent years, said Tracy Carter, director of government relations at Summa Health.
“By taking this action, you are signaling the city of Akron’s unwavering commitment to ensuring health care workers can care for the citizens of Akron and the surrounding communities without fear of violence,” Carter said during council’s public safety committee meeting Monday.
Under the new legislation, offenses would automatically be classified as a first-degree misdemeanor with a penalty of three days jail time, according to the ordinance.
Alyssa LeBaron, a Summa Health nurse, spoke in support of the legislation.
“Every nurse that I work with that I spoke to had a story that they could have shared today, like it was eye-opening,” LeBaron said.
LeBaron shared stories of being kicked in the stomach by two different patients in recent years.
In one incident, LeBaron pressed charges against the patient but was not given proper notice of her court dates, she said. She was also urged by attorneys to say that the patient was dealing with mental health concerns.
“It didn’t feel like anybody had my back in that setting,” LeBaron said. “It was just really disheartening. It was very clear that she had waited until my back was turned and was no longer paying attention to her, and took that opportunity (to harm me).”
LeBaron also shared a story of a colleague whose patient attempted to strangle him with his stethoscope. Employees stepped in and de-escalated the situation before the doctor was seriously injured, she added.
“(The doctor) didn’t want to press charges because the general impression on our end of things is that nothing really happens for us when we do that,” LeBaron said.
Akron City Council unanimously approved the legislation, which was co-sponsored by Mayor Shammas Malik, Monday night.
