Covenant Health commits to improving how workplace harassment and violence concerns involving medical staff are handled

Interim measures implemented by Covenant Health in response to concerns raised by United Nurses of Alberta are intended to improve worker safety by making changes to how workplace harassment and violence concerns involving medical staff are handled by the organization.
 
After meetings with UNA Occupational Health & Safety Advisors, Dewey Funk and Tim Nessim, and UNA Labour Relations Officer, Brady Holroyd, Covenant Health’s Medical Affairs, Occupational Health and Safety, and Human Resources staff acknowledged UNA’s concerns.
 
In a letter dated July 24, Covenant Health committed to the following measures:

• When UNA or its members request information about the complaint process involving medical staff including physicians they will be directed to the Human Resources Client Partnerships Manager. The HRCP Manager will also function as the central point of contact for all inquiries, including queries about the status of complaints.
• Where the respondent is a member of medical staff, the HRCP Manager will collaborate with a contact in Medical Affairs to gather information, which will be shared with UNA as deemed appropriate by the employer.
• Covenant Health commits to continued collaboration with UNA to address specific concerns and respects UNA’s requirement to support its members.
• Covenant Health commits to continued collaboration with UNA to improve the response to Type III harassment and violence complaints involving medical staff, including physicians.

Covenant’s response follows similar measures announced by Alberta Health Services in May 2022 to improve the process for nurses reporting workplace harassment and violence concerns involving physicians.