Advancing Health Podcast Summary

Episode: SSM Health’s United Front Against Workplace Violence

Host: American Hospital Association
Date: June 6, 2025
Guests:

• Amy Wilson, Chief Nurse Executive, SSM Health
• Todd Miller, Vice President of Security, SSM Health
• Moderator: Jordan Steiger, Senior Program Manager, Clinical Affairs & Workforce, AHA

Episode Overview

This episode examines SSM Health’s comprehensive, organization-wide approach to reducing workplace violence in healthcare settings. The discussion highlights the vital collaboration between clinical and security teams, a strong focus on leadership engagement, and SSM Health’s multi-layered strategies, ranging from advanced training to physical infrastructure changes. The conversation provides actionable insights for healthcare leaders facing similar challenges nationwide.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Whole-Team Approach to Safety

• Integrated Collaboration:
  Amy Wilson emphasizes the “magic” at SSM Health is their integrated approach, making security professionals valued members of the care team.

• Changing Paradigms:
  Traditionally, workplace violence was seen as security’s responsibility. At SSM, broad organizational ownership is crucial to success.

  “That is the magic at SSM Health... we have taken a fully integrated approach to thinking about safety, security and workplace violence prevention....our clinical work team believes that our security team is an integral part of that team and helps us take great care of our patients and our families and our communities every single day.” — Amy Wilson (02:07)

2. Leadership Commitment & Early Engagement

• Executive-Level Involvement:
  Todd Miller shares a formative moment when Amy Wilson, as a new leader, made security a priority, signaling top-down commitment.

  “...the most important sentence...was, ‘How can I support you and your team?’...that high level of support from the top down...reinforced at the highest level, which we appreciated.” — Todd Miller (03:00)

3. External Trends Impacting Internal Safety

• Escalating Violence:
  Both leaders recount how workplace violence has grown from rare, shocking incidents a decade ago to a mounting, expected challenge.

• Societal Factors Inside Hospitals:
  Amy discusses increasing disrespect and aggression in hospital environments, now mirroring broader societal polarization and stress.

  “...all the turmoil that we feel as a society...is being brought across the threshold now into that. And so all of the turmoil that we feel as a society...now gets brought into the facilities, into our hospitals, our healthcare settings, and now we are dealing with all of that burden at a very vulnerable time in people’s lives.” — Amy Wilson (05:57)

  “It used to be a sacred space and we're losing that. Churches, schools, hospitals, there's a change and unfortunately we've had to adapt to that.” — Todd Miller (08:23)

4. Holistic, Layered Solutions

• Multifaceted Programs:
  SSM Health employs a spectrum of solutions: ongoing de-escalation training, team simulations, trauma-informed care, self-regulation tools like HeartMath, and physical security measures.

Team Training & Simulated Response

• Interdisciplinary Training:
  Teams train together, not just as separate disciplines—simulations model real-life violent incidents for genuine team response.

  “Those teams are trained together, they practice together, they're in simulation together, and they are simulating real live events so that when something happens...they know how to respond together as a team.” — Amy Wilson (09:33)

• Quantifiable Results:
  Amy cites a 93% self-reported increase in staff feeling capable to face violent incidents after their new training initiatives.

Evolving De-Escalation Training

• Practical, Ongoing Education:
  Todd critiques the traditional “annual training model” in favor of regular, bite-sized refreshers, which build lasting skills and retention.

  “On January 1st you have an eight-hour training, congratulations, you know how to de-escalate somebody...the incident happens on December 31, are you going to remember?...Moving more towards that consistency model...more training, smaller increments, more touch bases throughout the year...people are remembering it.” — Todd Miller (12:14)

• Acknowledging Limits and Realities:
  Leaders stress the importance of being honest that de-escalation doesn’t always work, and preparing for what to do next.

Physical Security & Facility Design

• Adapting Infrastructure:
  Hospitals designed for open access now face “sins of the architectural past.” SSM Health has begun redesigning entryways, especially for high-risk areas like emergency departments, and deploying weapons detection.

  “Our hospitals are built for convenience, not security....Now hospitals are having to think the same way [as banks]...Crime prevention through environmental design...What are those security controls that can make our staff safer? ...it’s staggering what we've turned up...anything that can be used as a weapon against our staff.” — Todd Miller (14:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amy Wilson (Team Integration, 02:07):
  “Our clinical work team believes that our security team is an integral part of that team and helps us take great care of our patients and our families and our communities every single day.”

• Todd Miller (Leadership Buy-In, 03:00):
  “How can I support you and your team?...it was just that comforting feeling that there was understanding about what we do...from the top down in the programs.”

• Amy Wilson (Societal Influence, 05:57):
  “All of the turmoil that we feel as a society...now gets brought into the facilities...we are dealing with all of that burden at a very vulnerable time in people’s lives.”

• Todd Miller (Evolving Risks, 08:23):
  “It used to be a sacred space and we're losing that. Churches, schools, hospitals....we've had to adapt to that.”

• Amy Wilson (Training Impact, 09:33):
  “Our care teams and our security teams telling us that they feel 93% more capable of dealing with the violent situation than they have ever felt before.”

• Todd Miller (Security Redesign, 14:41):
  “Now hospitals are having to think the same way [as banks]...what are those security controls that can make our staff safer?...it’s staggering what we've turned up.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:50–01:34 – Guest introductions and SSM Health organizational context
• 02:07–03:00 – Importance of integrated, team-based approach to safety
• 03:00–03:55 – Value of leadership engagement and security-clinical connection
• 04:31–05:57 – Escalation of violence trends within healthcare
• 05:57–08:23 – Societal influence and the loss of hospitals as sacred, safe spaces
• 09:33–12:14 – Team simulation training, de-escalation, trauma-informed care
• 12:14–14:21 – Rethinking de-escalation training: practical, ongoing approaches
• 14:41–17:34 – Facility redesign, environmental security strategies, weapons detection

Summary Takeaways

SSM Health demonstrates that reducing workplace violence requires:

• High-level leadership involvement and crossed-departmental ownership
• Honest recognition of societal influences infiltrating hospital settings
• Realistic, sustained training practices that go beyond checklists to instill muscle memory and emotional resilience
• Physical facility changes to adapt to new threats, with a willingness to challenge old assumptions
• Continual evolution and transparency about successes and ongoing challenges

Their story offers a compelling template for any healthcare organization seeking to foster a safer, more unified environment in a dynamic and sometimes turbulent world.