Hospital Testimony Provided on Critical Incident Stress Management Bill
Posted on October 03, 2019
On Oct. 3, members of the Bronson Healthcare team testified before the House Health Policy Committee on behalf of medical providers living with critical incident stress to advocate for House Bill (HB) 4862. The bill would expand confidentiality protections for the participants and providers performing Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) services at healthcare facilities.
CISM services were developed to help employees cope with the physical and emotional reactions that can arise after a traumatic event in the workplace. It is a voluntary, internationally recognized intervention process that is carried out by a team of peers trained in understanding the signs and effects of critical incident stress. Rather than replacing formal psychotherapy, CISM teams are used as an initial response option to defuse stress and debrief, as well as to make referrals for further one-on-one services.
Amy Morrison-Maybee, Bronson Healthcare CISM team coordinator, testified that violence and harassment is a growing issue in hospitals, and providing CISM services is one way Michigan hospitals are working to improve workplace safety for healthcare providers.
In 2016, Gov. Rick Snyder approved Michigan’s first CISM statute, providing confidentiality and legal protections to CISM services used by emergency service providers. HB 4862 would not impact providers who are currently protected, but simply extend those same privileges to physicians and individuals working in a healthcare facility.
HB 4862 is sponsored by Reps. Douglas Wozniak (R-Shelby Twp.), Gregory Markkanen (R- Hancock), Kevin Coleman (D-Westland), and Jeff Yaroch (R-Richmond). The MHA supports the legislation as part of its efforts to improve workplace safety throughout Michigan, and will keep members updated as the legislation progresses. For more information, contact Sean Sorenson at the MHA.
Tags: Bronson Healthcare, CISM, HB 4862, Amy Morrison-Maybee, Sean Sorenson
Posted in: Issues in Healthcare, Member News