According to a report from National Nurses United, 81.6 percent of nurses said they experienced workplace violence in 2023.

Ask any healthcare worker, and they will have their own story of workplace violence. In the early years of my career, I narrowly missed encountering a gunman in the hospital ER solely because I forgot something and had to return upstairs. While tragedy was avoided in my case, too often, it is not. Such incidents are not isolated; in fact, they are becoming disturbingly common.

According to a report from National Nurses United, 81.6 percent of nurses said they experienced workplace violence in 2023.

As a physician, providing excellent patient care has always been my priority; however, any type of workplace violence disrupts quality care. When the supposedly safe spaces of healing and learning become targets, we must look at ways beyond hardening the exteriors to help prevent such violence within buildings.

For our healthcare systems, the answer may lie within our schools.

Since we lost our daughter and 16 of her classmates and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, six years ago, my wife and I have been advocating for enhanced school safety measures for classrooms across the nation.

Seven states have passed Alyssa's Law, named for our daughter, which requires the installation of wearable panic alarm technology in education settings. These alarms, which instantly link every classroom to emergency personnel while also providing mass communication to all staff, serve as a lifeline in times of crisis. These wearable panic alarms are not just outfitted for classrooms: they can be utilized in any workplace setting, including a healthcare system.

Despite their difference in purpose, healthcare facilities and schools share the unique properties of community spaces. Healthcare facilities are safe havens for those who need healing and rest within our community. No one should fear for their safety going to the doctor. Just as lawmakers have rethought and revised school safety requirements, they should do the same for healthcare facilities. Wearable safety technology has emerged as a formidable solution to this pressing issue.

Wearable, mobile duress badge technology is tailor-made for the unique challenges faced by healthcare workers. It is discrete, easy to use, and can be customizable for each healthcare campus. Some duress badge providers have technology that equips nurses, doctors and staff with badges that display their location and the ability to signal the level of emergency with a push of a button. They can use one badge for all campuses within a healthcare system, and they do not have to wait to get in touch with a hospital operator to “sound the alarm” or risk escalating a situation by lunging for a wall-mounted panic button.

Mobile panic alarms offer a nuanced and efficient response mechanism. Whether a minor incident or a life-threatening crisis, healthcare professionals can instantly summon help, ensuring a swifter and more coordinated response.

Texas was one of the first states to take on this alarming trend of workplace violence by passing SB240 last session, mandating facilities to establish a workplace violence prevention plan. Similar legislation is playing out in other states, becoming a nationwide movement.

I know healthcare facilities' budgets are tight these days with unprecedented rising costs of care and lower reimbursement rates. Still, through my personal journey in advocating for safety improvements in our educational institutions, I have learned one thing: you must invest in the future.

The adoption of wearable panic alarms is not just a security upgrade; it's a commitment to the well-being of those who dedicate their lives to provide healing and care. It's about protecting our community spaces. Like any other, the healthcare environment should be a sanctuary, free from the fear of violence. As Alyssa’s Law gains traction nationally, the spotlight now turns to healthcare facilities to embrace this critical technology.

Time, as we know too well, equals life. Swift action can be the difference between tragedy and survival. Investing in wearable panic alarm technology is an investment in our healthcare workforce's safety, resilience, and mental well-being. As we advocate for students to have a safe place to thrive, I am doing the same for healthcare places. The time has come to make our healthcare facilities safe.

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Dr. Ilan Alhadeff is the father of Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the February 14, 2018, school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and co-founder of Make Our Schools Safe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving school safety.

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Houston students develop cost-effective glove to treat Parkinson's symptoms

smart glove

Two Rice undergraduate engineering students have developed a non-invasive vibrotactile glove that aims to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease through therapeutic vibrations.

Emmie Casey and Tomi Kuye developed the project with support from the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) and guidance from its director, Maria Oden, and Rice lecturer Heather Bisesti, according to a news release from the university.

The team based the design on research from the Peter Tass Lab at Stanford University, which explored how randomized vibratory stimuli delivered to the fingertips could help rewire misfiring neurons in the brain—a key component of Parkinson’s disease.

Clinical trials from Stanford showed that coordinated reset stimulation from the vibrations helped patients regain motor control and reduced abnormal brain activity. The effects lasted even after users removed the vibrotactile gloves.

Casey and Kuye set out to replicate the breakthrough at a lower cost. Their prototype replaced the expensive motors used in previous designs with motors found in smartphones that create similar tiny vibrations. They then embedded the motors into each fingertip of a wireless glove.

“We wanted to take this breakthrough and make it accessible to people who would never be able to afford an expensive medical device,” Casey said in the release. “We set out to design a glove that delivers the same therapeutic vibrations but at a fraction of the cost.”

Rice’s design also targets the root of the neurological disruption and attempts to retrain the brain. An early prototype was given to a family friend who had an early onset of the disease. According to anecdotal data from Rice, after six months of regularly using the gloves, the user was able to walk unaided.

“We’re not claiming it’s a cure,” Kuye said in the release. “But if it can give people just a little more control, a little more freedom, that’s life-changing.”

Casey and Kuye are working to develop a commercial version of the glove priced at $250. They are taking preorders and hope to release 500 pairs of gloves this fall. They've also published an open-source instruction manual online for others who want to try to build their own glove at home. They have also formed a nonprofit and plan to use a sliding scale price model to help users manage the cost.

“This project exemplifies what we strive for at the OEDK — empowering students to translate cutting-edge research into real-world solutions,” Oden added in the release. “Emmie and Tomi have shown extraordinary initiative and empathy in developing a device that could bring meaningful relief to people living with Parkinson’s, no matter their resources.”

New Austin tower eclipses Houston landmark as Texas' tallest building

Tallest in Texas

Texas officially has a new tallest tower. The title moves from Houston, for the JPMorgan Chase Tower, to Austin, for Waterline at 98 Red River St. The new tower will contain mixed-use spaces including apartments, offices, a hotel, restaurants, and retail. It is scheduled to open in full in 2026.

Waterline held a "topping out" ceremony in August, when the final beam was added to the top of the tower. It now reaches 74 stories and 1,025 feet — just 23 feet taller than the JPMorgan Chase Tower.

Waterline height comparison Waterline is now the tallest building in Texas.Graphic courtesy of Lincoln Property Company

According to a press release, hundreds of construction workers and team project members attended the Waterline ceremony, and more than 4,750 people have worked on it since the project broke ground in 2022. An estimated 875 people were working onsite every day at the busiest time for construction.

The Waterline site is on a 3.3-acre campus with lots of views of Waller Creek and Lady Bird Lake. The building contains space for 352 luxury apartments, 700,000 square feet of offices, a hotel called 1 Hotel Austin with 251 rooms, and 24,000 square feet of retail stores and restaurants.

The only space that is open to new tenants already is the office space, with residential soon to follow. The hotel and residential units are expected to open in fall 2026.

Waterline tower Austin A view from above, shot by drone.Photo courtesy of Lincoln Property Company and Kairoi Residential

“Seamlessly integrated with Waller Creek, Waterloo Greenway and the hike-and-bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, Waterline will quickly become a top downtown destination and activity center," said Lincoln executive vice president Seth Johnston in a press release. Project improvements will also make it far easier for people to access all of the public amenities in this area from Rainey Street, the new Austin Convention Center, and the rest of the Central Business District."

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston company awarded $2.5B NASA contract to support astronaut health and space missions

space health

Houston-based technology and energy solution company KBR has been awarded a $2.5 billion NASA contract to support astronaut health and reduce risks during spaceflight missions.

Under the terms of the Human Health and Performance Contract 2, KBR will provide support services for several programs, including the Human Research Program, International Space Station Program, Commercial Crew Program, Artemis campaign and others. This will include ensuring crew health, safety, and performance; occupational health services and risk mitigation research for future flights.

“This contract reinforces KBR’s leadership in human spaceflight operations and highlights our expertise in supporting NASA’s vision for space exploration,” Mark Kavanaugh, KBR president of defense, intel and space, said in a news release.

The five-year contract will begin Nov. 1 with possible extension option periods that could last through 2035. The total estimated value of the base period plus the optional periods is $3.6 billion, and the majority of the work will be done at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

“We’re proud to support NASA’s critical work on long-duration space travel, including the Artemis missions, while contributing to solutions that will help humans live and thrive beyond Earth,” Kavanaugh adde in the news release.

Recently, KBR and Axiom Space completed three successful crewed underwater tests of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at Johnson Space Center. The tests were part of an effort to help both companies work to support NASA's return to the Moon, according to a release.

KBR also landed at No. 3 in a list of Texas businesses on Time and Statista’s new ranking of the country’s best midsize companies.