The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office has prosecuted 125 hospital workplace violence cases since July 2023 — work that recently earned the office Scripps Health’s highest honor for distinguished service.
On Feb. 26, Scripps President and CEO Chris Van Gorder presented District Attorney Summer Stephan with the Scripps President’s Award, recognizing her leadership in advancing the San Diego Hospital Workforce Violence Task Force and her office’s prosecution of crimes against healthcare workers, according to a news release from the health system.
Since the task force launched in mid-2023, the district attorney’s office has filed 88 felony cases countywide and 37 misdemeanor cases outside the city of San Diego, where misdemeanors are prosecuted by the city attorney’s office. Ms. Stephan’s office also established a dedicated unit to handle hospital-related violence cases.
Scripps said the collaboration has contributed to a 31% reduction in workplace violence injuries across its five hospital campuses in the first year after the task force was established, compared to the prior year. From the launch of the task force through the end of 2025, workplace violence injuries declined 21%, said Scripps.
The task force — which comprises hospitals and health systems across the region, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors — plans to expand reporting to include facility-level data and more detailed breakdowns of charges.
Scripps Health is a $5 billion nonprofit integrated health system based in San Diego. The system operates four hospitals across five campuses, including two of the region’s three level 1 trauma centers, and employs nearly 17,800 people and works with more than 3,500 affiliated physicians, according to its website.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.