Sexual Harassment is a Double-Edged Sword: Are You Protecting Your Staff and Your Business?

You turn over every stone to ensure your new hires are of the highest caliber not only clinically but as human beings. The vast majority of times, as in all urgent care businesses, your due diligence pays off. Then there’s the rare occasion when the horrific and unpredictable happens, as seen in a recent news story out of Fresno, CA. There, a male physician has been charged with five counts of various sex offenses against a female patient. There’s no reason to think the patient made the whole thing up, but nor is it fair presume the doctor is guilty. The lesson is that the whole ugly businesses could have been avoided if there was a third party (a chaperone, basically) present in the exam room. If that’s not something you’re in the habit of ensuring, consider doing so for everyone’s mutual protection. And consider this: There are instances—more than you might imagine—where patients are the ones behaving inappropriately toward clinical or front-end staff. When it happens, it can destroy careers, damage lives, and bring down businesses. Your obligation to protect your staff is not just a moral one; you could be held legally responsible if you don’t take the necessary precautions. Read #MeToo in the Urgent Care Center: When the Perpetrator Is a Patient in the September issue of JUCM to see if you’re doing enough.