Both houses of the New York State legislature finished this year’s session with passage of a bill that provides for additional penalties for assault and extends protections against workplace violence to “any employee who provides direct patient care” in a healthcare facility while they are at work. Previously, only EMTs and Registered Nurses were protected under this law.

Violence in the workplace is a serious problem in healthcare facilities, which have the highest rate of injury due to violence. According to a 2012 U.S. Labor Dept. survey, psychiatric and substance abuse hospital workers suffer from the highest injury rate at 118 per 10,000 workers and nursing home workers experience 34.4 injuries per 10,000 workers while on the job.

Kevin Walker is a patient engagement specialist at North Shore-LIJ’s Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, NY. Walker testified last year in support of the bill.

“To me this issue is so important. I work on a Crisis Intervention Team at a psychiatric facility. We get people who are criminally insane. Over the recent years we have been dealing with a lot of violence,” said Walker. “We need this protection. If a patient knows that if they do this they will get charged with a felony, they will think twice.”

The bill now heads to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk for signature.