Tag: Adam Novak

Upcoming Events Focus on Workplace Violence

Member News

The MHA will host two events that provide resources and insights on workplace violence in healthcare.

The MHA Keystone Center and MHA Endorsed Business Partner Tarian will host the webinar, The Four Myths of Workplace Violence and the Aggression Cycle You Can’t Afford to Ignore, March 4 from 11 a.m. – noon ET. Attendees are encouraged to register for the free webinar to gain valuable insights during the interactive discussion. The webinar is open to MHA members and non-members, healthcare professionals and leaders, security personnel and others responsible for creating a safe, empathetic and resilient workplace culture. Members with questions may contact Rob Wood at the MHA or Adam Novak at the MHA Keystone Center.

MHA EventsThe 2026 MHA HR Conference, scheduled March 24 at the Crowne Plaza Lansing, will include a panel discussion on workplace violence as a continuing challenge across healthcare settings that impacts employee safety, well-being and retention. The panel will highlight real-world strategies for preventing, responding to and recovering from incidents of workplace violence. Panelists will highlight successful initiatives, including policy development, staff training, reporting and response protocols, and collaboration between security and clinical teams.

Registration for the HR Conference is $259 and members can register online by March 11. Questions about registration should be directed to Ellie Droste at the MHA. Members with questions about the conference may contact Erica Leyko at the MHA.

MHA Keystone Board Reviews Strategic Priorities

Member News

The MHA Keystone Center Board of Directors met Feb. 4 to review strategic priorities and key initiatives aligned with the 2025-26 MHA Strategic Action Plan.

The meeting opened with a discussion focused on workplace violence and its impact on hospital staff. Board members reflected on the organization’s work and the ongoing efforts to support hospitals in addressing violence in healthcare settings.

During the strategic conversation, the board provided input to help guide priorities under the Strategic Action Plan. The discussion included an overview of the MHA Keystone Patient Safety Organization presented by Adam Novak, director, safety initiatives, followed by a maternal health update from Josh Suire, director, safety & quality, highlighting current initiatives and areas for continued focus.

Members with questions may contact Amy Brown at the MHA.

MHA Keystone Center Receives Harry L. McKinley Workplace Safety Leadership Award

Member News, Patient Safety and Quality
Clarence Rucker, senior manager, safety & quality, MHA, Adam Novak, director, safety initiatives, MHA and Amy Brown, chief nursing officer, MHA pictured during Harry L. McKinley Workplace Safety Leadership Award dinner. 

The MHA Keystone Center was honored April 15 at the Michigan Workplace Safety Conference for providing essential workplace safety resources to Michigan healthcare organizations and their staff.

The Harry L. McKinley Workplace Safety Leadership Award celebrates organizations exhibiting leadership commitment and striving for significant and sustainable results for safety excellence in the workplace.

The MHA Keystone Center has provided crucial services to hospitals, clinics, primary care offices, laboratories and urgent cares over the past four years. The more than $968,000 investment has included workplace violence gap analyses, physical security risk assessments, de-escalation and active shooter trainings and safe patient handling and mobility interventions.

The Center was also recognized for forging partnerships with academic institutions to advance healthcare workplace safety. The MHA Keystone Center serves as a founding partner of the Lawrence Technological University Healthcare Violence Reduction Center, a multidisciplinary effort to research violence in healthcare and develop innovative solutions to enhance safety and improve patient care. Additionally, the organization collaborates with Duke University’s Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science to deliver workforce wellbeing services to healthcare staff across Michigan, free of charge. More than 7,000 staff have received these services, with post-intervention assessments showing a 20% reduction in emotional exhaustion over the past three years.

The efforts of the MHA Keystone Center directly contributed to the MHA’s successful efforts to pass landmark state legislation, signed by Governor Whitmer in December 2023, which increase the penalties for assaulting a healthcare worker or volunteer.

For more information about the MHA Keystone Center’s healthcare worker safety initiatives, contact Adam Novak at the MHA.