Rep. Courtney Mourns Loss of CT Nurse Killed on the Job, Calls for Passage of Health Care Safety Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), a senior member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement after Brooklyn resident and visiting nurse Joyce Grayson was murdered on the job while performing an at-home visit in Willimantic.
“I’m praying for Joyce Grayson’s family as they mourn this heartbreaking loss. Ms. Grayson was a devoted mother and health care worker, and an eastern Connecticut native and resident who was tragically murdered while caring for her patient. Violence against health care workers, especially the extreme crime committed against Ms. Grayson, is deplorable and we must take action to institute safeguards that prevent harassment, injury, and death against those who care for us,” said Rep. Joe Courtney. “In Congress, I am continuing to work to advance my bipartisan Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act to achieve that goal. This legislation would put proven proactive measures in place in health care settings, including for at-home visits, to prevent violence before it happens. Tragic incidents like the one witnessed in Willimantic this week serves as a devastating reminder of the urgency this bill demands.”
Background
Violence against health care and social service workers has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and tragic incidents like these are on the rise nationwide.
Rep. Courtney’s Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act is a bipartisan bill that would help curb assaults taking place against this critical workforce by directing OSHA to issue a standard requiring health care and social service employers to write and implement a workplace violence prevention plan to protect their employees from violent incidents. In April 2021, the House voted to pass the bill by a margin of 254-166—an even greater bipartisan majority than when similar legislation introduced by Courtney passed the House in 2019. Courtney’s bill has drawn endorsements from a host of health care and social service professionals and from unions representing workers in these sectors, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the AFL-CIO, the American Nurses Association, and many others. It has also drawn official support from the Biden Administration.
On May 12, Rep. Courtney’s bill was officially introduced to the U.S. Senate by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) as S. 4182, where it awaits a vote.
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