Virginia Hospitals Reduce Reinjury Rates Among Patients Impacted by Violence, Lead on Combating Health Care Workplace Violence

June 6, 2025

Data Shows Virginia Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs Improve Lives and Communities; Hospitals Also Champion Efforts to Protect Health Care Workers from Violence in Clinical Settings

RICHMOND, VA – Each year in early June, the nation observes Gun Violence Awareness Day as well as the annual Hospitals Against Violence initiative focused on combatting the growing problem of workplace violence against health care professionals. In Virginia, hospitals’ commitment to supporting patients impacted by community violence, as well as efforts to protect patients and staff in clinical settings, have yielded positive results for public and clinical safety.

One example of that is the work of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIP) that are supported with federal and state grant funds that flow through the VHHA Foundation to participating Virginia hospitals. The HVIP model is a statewide approach to establishing evidence-based programs that support survivors of serious violence and their families during and after hospitalization with individualized services focused on healing and preventing future injury. 

Since 2019, more than 8,000 victims of violence have been served by Virginia HVIPs, whose interventions have resulted in a sharp decline in re-injury rates – the national average is 40 percent, compared to 3 percent for HVIP patients. It is estimated that at least $82.5 million in health care costs have been avoided due to the work of Virginia HVIPs and the reduction in re-injury rates, including $41 million in direct savings to the Commonwealth. HVIPs are currently operating in the Bon Secours Richmond Market, at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Riverside Regional Medical Center, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and VCU Health. Another HVIP program is being developed at Ballad Health’s Johnston Memorial Hospital.

“The data clearly shows that the work of HVIPs in supporting individuals impacted by violence with personalized care during, and after, hospitalization is positive for patients, families, and communities,” said Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “VHHA is proud to support this model, and affiliated hospital programs, that improve lives and save money. HVIPs are a shining example of the investments hospitals make in creating a healthier, safer Commonwealth.”

In addition to programs that help respond to community violence, Virginia hospitals are leading efforts to combat workplace violence in health care settings, which is a growing challenge. A recent study by researchers affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill documented a “30 percent increase in [workplace violence] across all health care facility types between 2011 and 2021/2022.” Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has shown that “health care and social assistance experienced the highest counts and annualized incidence rates for workplace violence of any private industry sector.” And a new report from the American Hospital Association (AHA) estimates that the total cost of violence to U.S. hospitals in 2023 was more than $18 billion dollars.

VHHA and hospital members have worked with the Virginia General Assembly to strengthen protections for health care professionals by updating state law to make it a class 1 misdemeanor to threaten to kill or harm health care professionals rendering care in health care settings. In the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session, legislation was approved establishing a process for hospitals to document and report workplace violence incidents. On the federal level, the Save Healthcare Workers Act is pending in Congress. That bipartisan legislation would make it a federal crime to assault a hospital worker.

In Virginia, VHHA established a hospital member Safety and Security Task Force and developed a Workplace Violence Prevention Toolkit with information about developing, evaluating, and sustaining workplace violence prevention programs. Working with hospital members, VHHA also launched the anti-workplace violence “Help Us, Help You” video-based public awareness campaign featuring personal stories from frontline nurses who have experienced workplace violence. That work was inspired by feedback from hospital members about rising incidents of health care workplace violence who asked VHHA to help raise awareness about the problem and appropriate behavior expectations in hospital settings. A 30-second version of the behavior expectation video was produced as a public service announcement for TV and radio stations across Virginia and promoted on digital channels. A longer version of the video was provided to hospital members for display on monitors in patient-facing areas at health care facilities.

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 113 hospitals and 26 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its vision is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its mission is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia’s health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com