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New York Announces Workplace Violence Prevention Requirements
A Step Forward for Healthcare Safety When New York announced its new workplace violence prevention requirements for hospitals and nursing homes in December, we were not surprised. What New York is requiring by September 2027 outlines what healthcare organizations will need to implement: a structured, systematic approach to preventing workplace violence. The timing is significant. Healthcare workplace violence has increased dramatically, with some facilities experiencing 60% i

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
14 hours ago3 min read


The Surprising Link Between Patient Anxiety and Violence in the Emergency Department
Many healthcare leaders may not realize that the anxiety their patients feel about not knowing what's happening, might be driving them toward violence. New research published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing in 2025 examined 315 emergency department patients and found that "intolerance of uncertainty" is a major predictor of violence tendency. What's Intolerance of Uncertainty? Think about what it’s like to be a patient in an Emergency Department (ED). You are in pain. Y

Kim Urbanek and David Brake
2 days ago4 min read


Can AI Predict the Future for the Healthcare Industry?
As Director of Operations for OPTICS for Healthcare, I spend a lot of time thinking about our AI-native platform and its Agentic AI components. I work with an incredible team of people, including the OPTICS Advisory Board , who are all invested in making the future of healthcare better for the healthcare professionals on the front line and the executives who manage the bottom line. As a team, we believe that it is possible for AI to predict the future in healthcare, at least

Erin Parker
6 days ago4 min read


Healthcare Heroes—Judy Faulkner/EPIC
When I think about transformative leaders in healthcare technology, one name stands above the rest: Judy Faulkner, founder and CEO of Epic Systems. In 1979, Faulkner started coding in her Wisconsin basement with $70,000 borrowed from friends and family, a single minicomputer the size of a washer-dryer, and two part-time assistants. She wrote the original code herself. Today, Epic maintains the medical records of over 325 million patients—more than half the U.S. population—and

David Brake
Dec 11, 20252 min read


Pop Quiz: What's Your Healthcare Organization's Most Valuable Asset?
Healthcare organizations spend millions promoting their organizations' value proposition to consumers. But when it comes to delivering what patients actually want—happiness, peace of mind, and improved quality of life—which organization asset matters most? Take the Quiz Question: What is a healthcare organization's most important asset when it comes to delivering what patients and consumers value the most? A) Advanced technology and medical equipment The latest MRI machines,

David Brake
Nov 11, 20255 min read


Has the Workplace Violence Epidemic Become a Financial Epidemic for the Healthcare Industry?
(Part 1) Healthcare organizations face a crisis that's quietly eroding their bottom line while threatening the industry's future: workplace violence. According to a recent World Health Organization report, an estimated 38% of healthcare workers will suffer physical violence at some point in their careers—violence perpetrated primarily by patients and visitors. Yet the true scope of this epidemic remains hidden, as research cited by WHO suggests that fewer than half of all inc

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Oct 24, 20253 min read


When Politics Enter the Healing Space
How Political Violence Threatens Healthcare Workplace Safety The recent assassinations of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, and United Healthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson, have reignited discussions about politically charged violence in America, but healthcare organizations and security professionals face a unique challenge: understanding how this broader political volatility can infiltrate their work environments. As political polarization reaches new extremes, healthcare workpl

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Sep 26, 20254 min read


The Case of the 133% Surprise: How Healthcare Compliance Costs Can Exceed Every Penalty
A Healthcare Workplace Violence Case Study* Background A mid-sized behavioral healthcare facility in the U.S. found itself facing...

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Sep 19, 20254 min read


Now Hiring ... Again
Healthcare Employment and the Churn Factor The recent headlines about healthcare's hiring slowdown tell only half the story. While...

David Brake
Sep 11, 20254 min read


How Underreporting Masks the True Cost of Workplace Violence in Healthcare
Workplace violence in healthcare costs $18.27 billion annually, according to recent research by the American Hospital Association, but...

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Aug 28, 20256 min read


Healthcare Facilities Face Growing Wave of Workplace Violence Regulations
Healthcare organizations across the United States are bracing for a significant regulatory shift as federal and state governments...

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Aug 21, 20254 min read


Decision Velocity in Healthcare: The Critical Factor in Workplace Violence Prevention
In healthcare settings where violence against staff occurs at alarming rates, the speed at which organizations assess facility operations...

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Aug 18, 20254 min read


Inside the Head of a Healthcare CEO
What’s top-of-mind for America’s healthcare CEOs? In an effort to answer that question, we analyzed several annual surveys from...

David Brake and Kim Urbanek
Aug 8, 20255 min read
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