MILWAUKEE, WI — A healthcare worker sustained serious injuries after a battery at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital on Milwaukee's east side early Monday morning.
Milwaukee police say shortly before 5 a.m. Monday, a 36-year-old man battered a 38-year-old healthcare provider.
Kenneth Flagg has been charged with bodily harm to a person who works in a health care facility and substantial battery in connection to the incident.
According to a criminal complaint, the victim told police that he was treating Flagg for anxiety and insomnia when Flagg suddenly repeatedly struck him in the head with a large Milwaukee Tool battery. The victim needed 11 staples for lacerations on his scalp, and needed medical glue to close another laceration on the side of his jaw. He also suffered a chipped tooth.
TMJ4 received multiple tips about the incident as it is the latest violent event at the hospital.
"This is the same hospital where a few years ago a security guard was stabbed. And Ascension has done nothing to improve security or make things safe for itself since then," one viewer wrote. "There is no increase in security presence in the ER."
The Monday battery follows other acts of violence at the hospital, including two stabbings in 2018 and another in 2024.
Watch: MPD investigating a Healthcare worker seriously injured in battery at Columbia St. Mary's
TMJ4 reached out to Ascension multiple times Tuesday to ask about the incident and what, if any, preventative measures it might be considering, but did not receive a response.
Gina Dennik-Champion, CEO of the Wisconsin Nurses Association, says workplace violence is a serious and ongoing problem in healthcare settings.
"Workplace violence remains an issue in healthcare. And it is a reason for leaving. It is a reason for burnout, you know, that employee is not feeling supported," Dennik-Champion said.
Watch: Milwaukee man charged with beating healthcare worker with battery at Columbia St. Mary's
While Dennik-Champion could not speak specifically to this incident, the Wisconsin Nurses Association conducted a 2024 study on workplace violence against nurses. Surveys showed 46% of nurses in hospitals were hit or punched.
Dennik-Champion says healthcare institutions bear responsibility for addressing the problem.
"The institution is responsible for training and helping with prevention," Dennik-Champion said.
The Wisconsin Nurses Association lobbies for better protections for nurses, including workplace violence training. Dennik-Champion also emphasized the importance of healthcare workers reporting incidents of workplace violence.
"There's that conversation among nurses, I don't know about other healthcare workers, but where they really think that getting hit and sworn at is all part of the job, and never, ever should that be part of a person's job," Dennik-Champion said.
An Ascension Milwaukee spokesperson shared the following statement with TMJ4:
"The safety and well-being of our associates, patients and visitors are always our highest priorities. We stand with our caregivers - and all of our associates - in working to prevent violence in the workplace. Across our Ascension Wisconsin facilities, we continually assess and adapt our violence prevention and security protocols which include strategies such as visible security measures, de-escalation training, threat assessment tools to identify risks early, and guidance from cross-functional Workplace Violence Prevention Committees."
"We are fully cooperating with the Milwaukee Police Department as they investigate this matter. Due to patient and associate privacy concerns, we are unable to comment specifically on this incident."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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