Patient Safety Forum: Tracking Workplace Violence and Prevention in Maryland Hospitals

Jane Krienke is an assistant vice president on the Government Affairs & Policy team at the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA). She has worked at MHA since 2015. Her issue portfolio includes workforce development, workplace violence prevention, sexual assault and human trafficking, pediatric hospital overstays, and the Hospital Bond Program. Jane also supports MHA’s Task Force on Maryland’s Future Health Workforce, a group established in 2022 focused on identifying barriers and opportunities to support Maryland’s health care workforce. Jane works closely with the Maryland health occupations boards including the Board of Nursing and Board of Physicians on a number of physician, nursing and allied health workforce issues.

Kara Harrer, PharmD, currently serves as Associate Vice President for Ancillary Services at CalvertHealth. A pharmacist for more than 30 years, Harrer brings extensive clinical and leadership experience, including 11 years as Director of Pharmacy. She completed her pharmacy practice residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and earned both her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from Temple University.

Harrer has worked at CalvertHealth for nearly three decades, developing strong relationships across medical, nursing, and allied health staff. In her role, she oversees a wide range of ancillary services with a focus on clinical areas such as cardiopulmonary, pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, rehabilitation, and community wellness. She has been recognized at the state and national level for her contributions to opioid stewardship. Since 2015, her work with CalvertHealth’s Opioid Stewardship Committee has helped reduce opioid addiction and prevent opioid-related deaths in the local community. She continues to serve as executive sponsor of the committee and as a member of the Calvert County Opioid Intervention Team.

Harrer played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic as coordinator of the treatment team, ensuring the latest treatment options and vaccines were made available to CalvertHealth employees, patients, and the community. She collaborates extensively with community partners, serving as Chair of the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) Council, Co-Chair of the Community Health Improvement Roundtable for Calvert County, and leading CalvertHealth’s Community Wellness and Mobile Health Unit initiatives.

Additionally, Harrer oversees emergency management and serves as Chair of both the Workplace Violence Committee and the Environment of Care Committee. Throughout her tenure, she has consistently driven initiatives that improve patient care and community health.

Harrer resides in Hughesville, Maryland with her husband and two college-age children.

Cindy Ebelein is a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse with over 14 years of experience in behavioral health nursing.

She has been involved in implementing  workplace violence prevention efforts for the past three years, and has recently taken on the role of Workplace Violence Prevention Program Director at MedStar Health.

Pallavi Arora is the policy analyst for the Government Affairs & Policy team at the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA). Her issue portfolio includes maternal and child health, behavioral health, patient cost exposure, and Medicaid. Pallavi also represents MHA on the Prescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council. She has a master's in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and previously practiced as a mental health practitioner.