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Did Skin Prep Fuel This Fire? - February 2017 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 7 The Legal Burden of Workplace Bullying Staff-on-staff hostility puts your facility at risk for litigation. Legal Update Angela T. Burnette, Esq., Rebecca Kennedy, Esq., and Genta Iwasaki T he healthcare workplace hinges on effective collaboration, team- work and communication. Workplace bullying represents a direct threat to all three. Besides damaging relationships, bully- ing can also impact patient care and trigger litigation. In 2008, a perfusionist won a $325,000 verdict against a surgeon who allegedly balled his hand into a fist and pinned the perfusionist against a wall after an argument in the operating room. The surgeon then alleged- ly walked away while yelling, "You're over. You're history. You're fin- ished." The perfusionist sued the surgeon, asserting intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault. The jury awarded the perfusionist $325,000 for the assault claim, and an appeals court rejected the sur- • PICKING ON THEIR OWN Women bullies target other women 68% of the time, according to a 2014 Workplace Bullying Institute survey. Amy Dragoo

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