The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert July 9 that counsels hospitals to proactively manage abusive, intimidating, or disruptive behavior in their facilities. The alert points to "a history of tolerance of and indifference to intimidating and disruptive behavior in healthcare" and argues that organizations failing to address these behaviors through effective systems are, in effect, indirectly promoting it. The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) alert, "Behaviors that undermine a culture of safety," states that patient safety and quality-of-care issues are at the center of this concern.