New AI Platform Aims to Reduce Healthcare's $12.7B Workplace Violence Crisis

Healthcare workers are facing an alarming rate of workplace violence, a crisis that not only endangers their safety but also imposes a hefty financial burden on the U.S. healthcare system, estimated at $12.7 billion annually. In response, OPTICS for Healthcare has launched a pioneering AI-driven platform aimed at tackling this issue head-on. The platform is the first of its kind, specifically designed to assess risks and ensure compliance in healthcare environments, where workers are five times more likely to experience violence than those in private industry.

The OPTICS platform integrates artificial intelligence with human oversight across five key components: a comprehensive workplace assessment, a GAP analysis report, a collaborative workflow management system, a critical content library with regulatory updates, and a management dashboard for analytics. This innovative approach not only aims to enhance staff safety but also to reduce liability, improve regulatory compliance, and decrease turnover rates, which can cost up to $82,000 per registered nurse recruited and onboarded.

David Brake, Co-founder and CEO of OPTICS for Healthcare, emphasized the platform's potential to transform healthcare environments. OPTICS for Healthcare is set to begin product pilots this fall, focusing on implementation, user experience, and the effectiveness of its components. Kim Urbanek, Co-founder and Chief of Innovation & Practice, highlighted the platform's goal to not only mitigate violence but also to improve patient care quality.

With a nationwide release targeted for early 2026, the OPTICS platform is poised to serve a broad spectrum of healthcare facilities, including hospitals, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and physician practice groups across the United States. This initiative represents a significant step forward in addressing the pervasive issue of workplace violence in healthcare, offering a beacon of hope for safer work environments and better patient care.