Building Safer Workplaces and Communities: Strategies to Prevent and Address Violence in Health Care

In this webinar, you’ll learn how hospitals and health systems across the country are implementing evidence‑based strategies to prevent and mitigate workplace violence. Presenters will walk you through the AHA’s Building a Safe Workplace and Community framework, share real‑world case studies, and highlight actionable resources from the Hospitals Against Violence initiative.

Whether you’re a risk professional, clinical leader, security professional, administrator, or part of an interdisciplinary safety team, this session will equip you with practical tools to strengthen safety culture, support staff, and reduce harm.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the scope and impact of workplace violence across health care and community settings 
    
2. Identify and apply evidence-based strategies for prevention and mitigation 
    
3. Identify strategies for integrating violence-focused trauma support into existing organizational well-being programs without creating entirely new structures

Speakers:

Jordan Steiger, MPH, MA, LSW, is the Director of Behavioral Health and Violence Prevention at the American Hospital Association (AHA). She leads AHA’s behavioral health portfolio, advancing access to high-quality care, championing programs that improve outcomes for patients with substance use disorders, and supporting workforce well-being. Jordan also directs the Hospitals Against Violence initiative, promoting strategies to reduce workplace violence and improve safety outcomes. Recognized as the 2025 National Emerging Social Work Leader by the National Association of Social Workers, she brings expertise in social work and public health to develop impactful behavioral health and violence prevention programs nationwide.

Elisa Arespacochaga is group vice president, clinical affairs and workforce at the American Hospital Association. In her role, Elisa supports the workforce strategy efforts of the association, focused on strengthening the current health care workforce and planning for the workforce needed for the future. As part of this work, she also leads efforts to support behavioral health, reduce violence in hospitals, support trustee leaders and advancing physician leadership across the hospital and health system enterprise.