Time’s Up Healthcare: Advocating for Health Care Professionals

In the fall of 2017, the #MeToo and TIME’S UP movements began in Hollywood. While lots of organizations were advocating to protect women in a number of fields, they weren’t solely based in health care. On March 1, 2019 that all changed when Time’s Up Healthcare launched.

According to Tiffany A. Love, PhD, FACHE, GNP, ANP-BC, CCA, CRLC, Regional Chief Nursing Officer with Coastal Healthcare Alliance as well as one of the organization’s founders, Time’s Up Healthcare was “established in response to the common experience of power inequity, unsafe work environments, and a lack of inclusion at every level of health care leadership. The aim is to drive new policies and decisions that result in more balanced, diverse, and accountable leadership; address workplace harassment and other types of discrimination; and create equitable and safe work cultures within all facets of the health care industry.”

She took the time to answer our questions about the organization. What follows is an edited version of the interview.

You’re a founding member of the initiative. Why did you get involved?

I have worked in health care since the age of fifteen. I’ve experienced a lot of harassment and other types of discrimination over the years, and I had accepted it as a normal aspect of working in the health care environment. In more recent years, I decided that I would take a stand to create the change I wanted to see, and Time’s Up Healthcare offered me that opportunity.

What is the mission for Time’s Up Healthcare? What does the group hope to accomplish?

Our mission is to unify national efforts to bring safety, equity, and dignity to our workplace. We want to engage and support health care professionals and organizations from all disciplines to change policy and practices to support safe, equitable, and inclusive work environments. We want to raise awareness about the issues that health care professionals face. We also want to provide support for survivors through the Time’s Up Healthcare Legal Defense Fund.

Why is it important for this group to exist? How do you hope to change healthcare?

Time’s Up Healthcare is important because health care professionals need a group who will advocate for them without expecting anything in return. Time’s Up Healthcare is a 501(c)(3) foundation. Most of the work is done by volunteer health care professionals who donate their time and money to this important initiative.

As health care professionals, we are aware of the research that has proven patient safety is at risk when health care workers are forced to work in an environment that is not safe, equitable, or inclusive. The health of the employees as well as the patients is impacted by these conditions.

What do most health care workers not realize about harassment in the workplace? Or assault?

Many health care workers have been desensitized to harassment because it is so common. Harassment can be in the form of verbal aggression, exclusion, bullying behaviors, and the threat of physical violence. It can also take the form of assault through unwanted touching and even physical violence.

If nurses want to get involved with the group, what can they do?

We welcome you to join us at https://www.timesuphealthcare.org. You can sign up for our newsletter or purchase a pair of Time’s Up Healthcare scrubs under the shop tab. A portion of the proceeds will assist survivors through the Time’s Up Healthcare Foundation and Legal Defense Fund. You can also become a sponsor or encourage your organization to become a signatory who pledges commitment to align with Time’s Up Healthcare’s core statements.

You can also follow us on social media. We are on Twitter: @TIMESUPHC, Facebook: Time’s Up Healthcare, and Instagram: timesuphc. Look for Time’s Up Healthcare. You can also search the hashtags: #TimesUpHealthcare #TIMESUPHC and #TUHHERO.