EMS and EM Workplace Violence

MOCEP, the Great Plains Chapter of NAEMSP, and MEMSA Asks Missouri Legislators to Pass Workplace Violence Legislation to Protect Our Health Care Workforce

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (April 30, 2025) — The Missouri College of Emergency Physicians (MOCEP), the Great Plains Chapter of the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), and the Missouri Emergency Medical Services Association (MEMSA) are heartbroken by the tragic news of a Kansas City paramedic who was killed while on duty. We mourn the loss of a dedicated professional who worked closely with emergency medicine physicians.

Every day, both the EMS and emergency medicine communities face dangers, whether in the field or in the emergency department. Such violence in the workplace is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.

“A January 2024 poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)  shows that 91% of emergency physicians said that they, or a colleague, were a victim of violence in the past year.  We need to be able to do our jobs of treating patients without the worry of being assaulted,” said Timothy Koboldt, MD, FACEP, president of MOCEP.

Those numbers increase even more for our EMS colleagues. According to the 2019 “Violence Against EMS Practitioners” report, EMS personnel are 22 times more likely to be injured due to workplace violence than in other occupations.

“EMS and emergency medicine are a family; we work together daily to treat patients on their worst days and to save lives. Action must be taken to protect our EMS practitioners, emergency medicine nurses and physicians. People who knowingly and willfully assault health care workers need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Koboldt said.

In agreement with Dr. Koboldt, Erica Carney, MD, FAEMS, State EMS Medical Director, states, “I stand with every single healthcare worker affected, and the friends and families of those affected by workplace violence over the years. We need change. For our own children, for our own families, for our own coworkers. It is past time.”

MEMSA also strongly supports efforts to protect healthcare workers, including EMS clinicians, from violence and has joined MOCEP in advocating for legislative action. “We lost a colleague this week due to violence. EMS clinicians face danger every day, and our hearts break for the loss of a fellow first responder to such senseless acts. We stand with our partners in urging Missouri legislators to prioritize the safety of frontline responders,” stated MEMSA President Justin Duncan. “EMS clinicians often work in unpredictable and hazardous environments, and they deserve the same protections and support as their colleagues in hospitals.”

Collectively, we ask that Missouri legislators vote yes on the health care workplace violence language currently in the Missouri legislature, which would require all hospitals to notify patients that assaulting or injuring a healthcare worker is a serious crime and offenders will be prosecuted.

“Emergency physicians aren’t alone in battling violence at work; this issue impacts the fields closest to us as well, including EMS, first responders, and emergency medicine nurses,” said Dr. Koboldt. “It is imperative that we pass legislation to help keep healthcare workers safe.”

________________________________________________________________________

The Missouri College of Emergency Physicians (MOCEP) is a not-for-profit organization created to support and advocate for practicing Emergency Medical Physicians (EMPs) in Missouri. It is a state chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). To find out more, go to www.mocep.org.

Media contact information:

Sarah Luebbert, APR
Executive Director, MOCEP
admin@mocep.org
573-636-2144