Trinity Health Michigan Medical Groups has received the Michigan Health & Hospital Association’s (MHA) 2026 Advancing Safe Care Award for its StandSafe Workplace Violence Program. The team was honored during the MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium.
The MHA Advancing Safe Care Award honors healthcare teams within MHA-member organizations that show a commitment to quality care, evidence of an improved safety culture, and transparency in their efforts to improve healthcare.
“We are honored to receive this recognition for our StandSafe Workplace Violence Program,” said Cindy Elliott, president of Trinity Health Michigan Medical Groups. “Creating a safe environment for colleagues, patients and visitors requires commitment at every level of the organization. StandSafe reinforces that workplace safety is a shared responsibility and provides our teams with the tools, training, and support needed to address risks proactively.”
Workplace violence remains one of the most significant safety challenges facing healthcare organizations nationwide. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, healthcare workers are four to five times more likely to experience workplace violence injuries than workers in private industry overall.
In response, Trinity Health Michigan Medical Groups developed StandSafe, a workplace violence prevention initiative serving more than 300 ambulatory practices across Michigan. Created jointly by Trinity Health’s southeast Michigan and west Michigan medical groups, the program strengthens workplace violence prevention, reporting, preparedness, and accountability through five pillars: Prevent, Speak Up, Support, Be Prepared and Stand Together.
Since its implementation, StandSafe has established a workplace violence prevention infrastructure that includes safety committees, standardized workforce education, daily safety huddles, de-escalation training, and consistent reporting pathways. The program provides ongoing workplace violence education through online learning modules and reinforcement activities, with additional training and prevention strategies tailored to higher-risk care settings. StandSafe also expanded physical security assessments and is developing an electronic health record flag to help identify and manage patients with a history of violence. Increased reporting has improved visibility into workplace violence risks and informed prevention strategies across the organization.
Staff safety survey results showed improvement in several key safety culture measures, including employees’ willingness to ask questions, discussions about error prevention, and confidence that supervisors support a safe work environment.
Trinity Health Michigan operates nine hospitals, including Chelsea Hospital, and two employed medical groups.
