Striking hospital employees sound alarm over workplace violence

Emergency room nurse Crystal Dhooghe speaks during a rally at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on March 17. She is among hundreds of unionized employees at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital who have been on strike since Sept. 1, 2025. Teamsters J.C.43 hide caption

Nurse Crystal Dhooghe is used to dealing with blood and broken bones in the emergency room. But she didn't expect to witness so much violence against her own colleagues.

This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News .

"I've seen nurses get shoved, pushed, scratched. The biggest one is bitten," said Dhooghe, who works at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc, Mich.

The prevalence of workplace violence in healthcare has fueled strikes in states such as Louisiana , New York , Pennsylvania , Rhode Island and Michigan , where Dhooghe and many of her co-workers have been on the picket line since Labor Day of last year.

"People will question me and be like, 'Why are you still working in a place if you're treated like this?'" said Dhooghe, who gets by on strike benefits and working extra shifts at another hospital. The problem, she said, is that other hospitals aren't any better. "It's the same everywhere I go."

In a statement, Henry Ford spokesperson Dana Jay acknowledged violence against healthcare workers is a "national epidemic" and said the health system's efforts to address the problem include metal detectors, armed security officers trained to make "misdemeanor arrests" and de-escalation training.

"We have zero tolerance for violence of any kind," said Jay, asserting the strike is not about safety but is instead "simply an economic strike."