The unintended consequences of a law protecting WA healthcare workers
Seattle Now
KUOW News and Information
4.7 • 670 Ratings
🗓️ 13 June 2024
⏱️ 14 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Healthcare workers in Washington state’s under-resourced system are bearing the brunt, including a rise in violence on the job in recent years.
Assaulting a healthcare worker is an automatic felony in our state.
Seattle Times Investigative Reporter Sydney Brownstone is here to tell us how a law meant to protect workers is disproportionately affecting people with severe mental illness.
Read the investigation here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mental-health/a-law-to-protect-wa-health-care-workers-keeps-patients-in-crisis/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | These days, there's so much news. |
| 0:01.8 | It can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family, and your community. |
| 0:06.4 | The Consider This Podcast from NPR features our award-winning journalism. |
| 0:10.7 | Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news. |
| 0:17.5 | We get behind the headlines. |
| 0:19.4 | We get to the truth. |
| 0:22.8 | Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. Hey, good morning. It's Patricia Murphy. It's Thursday. This is Seattle now. |
| 0:31.6 | Healthcare workers in Washington State's under-resourced system are bearing the brunt, including a rise in violence on the job in recent years. |
| 0:40.8 | Assaulting a health care worker is an automatic felony in our state. |
| 0:44.3 | Seattle Times investigative reporter Sidney Brownstone is here to tell us how a law meant to protect workers |
| 0:50.0 | is disproportionately affecting people with severe mental illness. |
| 0:54.2 | But first, let's get you caught up. |
| 0:59.4 | Boeing will be the focus of a Senate committee hearing this morning, but it's the FAA answering |
| 1:04.5 | the questions. |
| 1:06.1 | Washington Senator Maria Cantwell will be there quizzing FAA head Mike Whitaker. |
| 1:12.3 | He'll be talking about the administration's oversight of Boeing's manufacturing processes and production quality. Also up for |
| 1:18.7 | discussion, Boeing's recent plan outlining ways the companies addressed safety problems flagged in an |
| 1:24.7 | earlier FAA audit. Keep an eye out for young scholars. It's graduation season. |
| 1:30.9 | Roosevelt and Rainier Beach High Schools are on for tonight at Memorial Stadium. Lincoln and |
| 1:36.0 | Ballard are on for Friday. Congratulations, seniors. You made it. And maybe stash a raincoat under your |
| 1:42.7 | cap and gown you might need it. Expect increasing |
| 1:45.8 | clouds by tonight with daytime highs around 68. We won't get much warmer tomorrow with a chance of |
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