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The Business of
Health Care Report
No one is immune from the epidemic of family violence. One in four
citizens is affected. I refer to family violence as an epidemic because it is both a health care concern as well as a
criminal justice issue. A 1996 National Institute of Justice study found that family
violence costs $67 billion a year in victim services, police and fire services, mental health care, medical costs,
property damage and lost worker productivity. The costs to businesses are high and likely to rise. Security
costs have increased for most businesses since September 11, where heightened protective measures are being taken on
behalf of the work force. Ninety-four percent of corporate security directors say family violence is a high risk
workplace issue that will require greater security safeguards in the future. We are fortunate in North Texas to have a number of high quality
family violence prevention programs. However, despite the success of local efforts, many abuse victims remain unaware
of the resources available to them in their communities or from their employers. In fact, the tendency is to hide abuse
from their work peers and supervisors. Traditionally, the place many family violence victims first find
help is in the emergency department or hospital. Because of that, more doctors and nurses have been trained in recent
years to be alert to the signs of family violence, with some hospitals providing linkages to community services to
support the victim in breaking the cycle of violence. Research indicates that few patients will disclose a history of
family violence without direct inquiry. As employers, simply providing information about family violence resources
and training your supervisors about what to say may save a life down the road. Although there is no easy solution, by taking responsibility and
action, the business community can help prevent the vicious cycle of family violence from continuing. For Texas Health Resources
and its family of hospitals - Harris Methodist Hospitals, Presbyterian
Healthcare System and Arlington Memorial Hospital - I'm CEO Doug
Hawthorne with "The Business of Health Care Report" on NewsRadio
1080 KRLD.
©
2002 Texas Health Resources |
I'm Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with
"The Business of Health Care Report" on 