2020 legislation requires workplace violence reporting, signage

Posted on: 8/12/22

State legislation passed in 2020, SB 1290, not only made assaulting a health care provider a felony, but also created a registry for the purpose of gathering data on health care workplace violence. The bill requires that all health care providers (hospitals, clinics and ambulances) report information on individual incidents to a website developed and managed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH).

SB 1290 Excerpt:

B. Every hospital, health clinic and ambulance service shall report all assaults on medical care providers to the State Department of Health on an annual basis. The State Department of Health shall have rulemaking authority to implement the provisions of this section.
 
C. The Department of Health shall not make public any identifiable information in regard to facility, individual or location of assaults.

Although the bill language calls for annual reporting, real time reporting is allowed. Hospitals can set up their own process for reporting, whether it is by the organization or by the individual. If you choose yearly reporting, there is no specific deadline.  

All incidents should be reported via this OSDH website.

According to the law, hospitals and clinics are to display signage to inform the public of the seriousness of this action. The specific language for the signage is below.

A. Every hospital, health clinic and ambulance service shall display at all times in a prominent place a printed sign with a minimum height of twenty (20) inches and a minimum width of fourteen (14) inches, with each letter to be a minimum of one-fourth (1/4) inch in height, which shall read as follows: 

WARNING: ASSAULTING A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO IS ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OR HER OFFICIAL DUTIES IS A SERIOUS CRIME. 
Section 650.4 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

To download sample signage, click here.

If you have questions, contact [email protected] or (405) 426-8470. (LaWanna Halstead)