Advancing Health Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Mental Health First Aid: A Proactive Approach to Workplace Violence
Date: February 16, 2026
Host: Jordan Steiger, Director of Behavioral Health and Violence Prevention, AHA
Guest: Tom Richard, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS); Member, AHA's Hospitals Against Violence Advisory Group

Episode Overview

This episode explores how Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) has adapted and implemented elements of the National Hospitals Against Violence initiative, prioritizing a safer environment for healthcare workers, patients, and families. Tom Richard discusses the system's proactive strategies—particularly around training, prevention, and post-incident support—and shares actionable insights for other health organizations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. HSHS and Tom Richard’s Role

• HSHS Background: Catholic healthcare system with 13 hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin (01:19).
• Tom Richard’s Role: As CHRO, focuses on workforce experience and safety, recognizing workplace violence as a barrier to providing compassionate care (02:06).

2. Systemic vs. Individual Solutions to Workplace Violence

• Need for Systemic Change:
  • Recognized “individual solutions weren’t enough” and committed to comprehensive, systemic approaches about 18 months ago (03:38).
  • Assembled a leadership team to address this as an organization-wide issue.

3. Prevention, Training, and the Trauma-Informed Approach

• Mental Health First Aid Training:

  • Made mandatory for all leaders; offered to all staff and external partners (05:17, 05:50).
  • Focuses on recognizing signs of trauma and providing immediate support, not long-term treatment.
  • “It’s not often that you get to offer a class or program and you have wait lists. We do.” (08:13, Tom Richard)

• Trauma-Informed Care:

  • Emphasizes recognizing both acute incidents and the underlying trauma individuals may bring into the workplace (05:17-05:50).
  • Encourages staff to pause and consider “what is going on here,” helping to de-escalate situations (07:22).
  • “Things can escalate very quickly...this adds another layer...that we think has been very beneficial for us.” (07:22, Tom Richard)

4. Post-Incident Support

• Healing Time Away:

  • Innovative policy allowing affected staff to take immediate, paid time off after an incident, outside of standard leave like vacation or bereavement (09:18-10:22).
  • “If you are slapped or punched... asking you to come right back to work probably isn’t the best care solution that we could deliver.” (09:41, Tom Richard)
  • Well-received, judiciously used, and helps with re-acclimation and showing respect for employees’ well-being.

• Additional Support Tools:

  • Care kits, toolkits for leaders, and check-ins to ensure ongoing support.

5. Data Collection, Reporting, and Using Insights

• Encouraging Reporting:

  • Emphasizes importance of incident reporting to drive systemic improvements, noting that increased reporting is a positive step (13:02).
  • Data used for action planning: “which units, at which time of day, which circumstance...for some reason, it's Thursdays...” (13:35, Tom Richard).
  • Insights inform staffing, resource deployment, and broader advocacy efforts.

• Monthly Cross-Disciplinary Meetings:

  • Regular review by security, quality, risk, and leadership teams to identify patterns and adapt interventions (13:55).
  • Data also shapes advocacy with lawmakers and law enforcement (14:45).

6. Organizational Culture and Policy Changes

• Widespread Buy-in:

  • Pandemic-era focus led to deep, system-wide engagement—multiple leadership meetings dedicated to these topics (15:42).
  • Deemed less a “program” and more “a way in which we work and that everyone’s involved in it.” (17:47, Tom Richard)

• Patient & Visitor Code of Conduct:

  • Updated and implemented by frontline colleagues, providing staff a concrete tool to address disruptive behaviors (16:24).
  • “It gave them a tool in the moment they could use to change behaviors as they’re occurring.” (16:27, Tom Richard)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Training and Culture:

• "It's not often that you get to offer a class or program and you have wait lists. We do...they're sharing with others."
  —Tom Richard, 08:13

• "Things can escalate very quickly. We, as do many other organizations, have de-escalation training... but this adds another layer."
  —Tom Richard, 07:22

On Healing Time Away:

• "If you are slapped or punched... asking you to come right back to work probably isn’t the best care solution that we could deliver... So if someone needs the afternoon or the evening... they can take advantage of that without having to take time off for their vacation or their holiday."
  —Tom Richard, 09:41–10:54

On Reporting and Data Use:

• "It's kind of hard to manage something that you don't understand how frequently they're occurring... The more that you ask for reporting, the more that you get. This is always a good thing. We'd rather know than not know."
  —Tom Richard, 13:02–14:18

On Organizational Commitment:

• "I'm most proud of the way that the entire organization has leaned into it...it's reinforced with regularity...we are focused on it for the long term."
  —Tom Richard, 15:42

• "It's less of a program and more of a way in which we work and that everyone's involved in it."
  —Tom Richard, 17:47

Timestamps for Important Segments

• HSHS Background & Tom’s Role — 01:19–02:06
• Systemic Approach to Violence Prevention — 03:38
• Focus on Prevention & Trauma-Informed Training — 05:17–08:13
• Healing Time Away Policy — 09:18–10:54
• Incident Reporting & Data Use — 13:02–14:45
• Organizational Commitment & Code of Conduct — 15:42–16:27
• Final Reflections: From Program to Culture — 17:26–17:47

Takeaways for Listeners

• HSHS’s model blends trauma-informed training (“mental health first aid”), strong post-incident supports (“healing time away”), and aggressive data-driven reporting/response to workplace violence.
• Their proactive, system-wide commitment transforms violence prevention from a checklist program into an embedded part of organizational culture.
• Practical tools—like updated codes of conduct and scheduled leadership check-ins—empower frontline staff and reinforce safety as a shared value.
• Continuous data review enables targeted systemic action, both internally and in advocacy.

For deeper detail, see the case study companion referenced by the host.