Northwell Health’s Post

Gun Violence in Hospitals: Why SafePointe is the Answer As a dedicated partner in the healthcare field, I'm deeply disturbed by the rise in gun violence in hospitals. A recent article in Medpage Today discusses this troubling trend and the need for preventative measures. The article, written by a former emergency physician, details several shootings in hospitals and argues that hospitals should implement weapon screening measures. I couldn't agree more. Why SafePointe? While there are a number of weapon screening solutions available, SafePointe is the best option for hospitals. Here's why: Safety First: SafePointe's technology is designed to keep both staff and patients safe. Ease of Use: SafePointe's systems are easy to use and integrate into existing security protocols. Cost-Effective: SafePointe offers a cost-effective solution that can help hospitals save money in the long run. In addition to the benefits listed above, SafePointe is also a trusted partner in the healthcare industry. With a proven track record of success, SafePointe is the best way to keep your hospital safe. Let's Work Together to End Gun Violence in Hospitals Gun violence in hospitals is a serious problem that we all have a responsibility to address. By working together, we can make our hospitals safer for everyone. If you're interested in learning more about SafePointe, please visit our website or contact me directly. #healthcare #hospitalsafety #gunviolence #SafePointe Going to IAHSS? Visit us in booth #216

🏛️ Addressing Gun Violence: A Call to Healthcare Leaders 📢 The White House is rallying healthcare executives and doctors to combat gun violence, recognizing it as a pressing public health crisis. As part of this effort, 160 healthcare officials are convening at the White House to discuss proactive strategies aimed at curbing gun-related injuries and fatalities. In 2022, over 48,000 lives were lost to gun violence in the U.S., with suicides representing more than half of these deaths. Alarmingly, gun violence disproportionately affects marginalized communities, particularly Black and Hispanic populations residing in underserved neighborhoods. It's a stark reality that demands immediate attention. Despite its severity, gun violence research has often been sidelined due to political gridlock. Now, the Biden administration is urging healthcare leaders to take the reins by enhancing data collection on firearm injuries. This data-driven approach will empower us to develop targeted prevention measures and mitigate the impact of gun violence on our communities. Furthermore, healthcare providers are being encouraged to engage in conversations with patients about firearm safety—a crucial step in promoting public safety and reducing the risk of gun-related incidents. 🌐 Read the full article here https://bit.ly/4ecFUNi At the Partnership, we stand in solidarity with these efforts to address gun violence as a public health issue. Together, let's leverage our collective expertise to safeguard our communities and foster a safer, healthier future for all. #GunViolencePrevention #PublicHealth #CommunitySafety #HealthcareLeaders #BidenAdministration #GunViolenceAwarenessMonth

Today, Kaiser Permanente commits a milestone $25M to our Center for Gun Violence Research and Education to address the urgent crisis of gun violence.   Gun violence has been a longstanding public health crisis. It is only January 26th, and already our nation is reeling from the more than 40 separate mass shootings that have taken place so far this year. And it’s not just mass shootings that we are grappling with. More than 45K people lose their lives to gun violence each year. Every act of gun violence creates waves of physical, emotional and psychological trauma that individuals and communities must endure. As a health care organization, we believe in our responsibility to find and implement solutions to gun violence - and this new commitment will allow us to expand and scale our work to get there.   But we can’t do it alone - partnership, collaboration, and community involvement are foundational to this work. As part of this commitment, Kaiser Permanente will also partner with the The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention to help coordinate the work of the Center for Gun Violence Research and Education and develop a #publichealth approach for ending this epidemic. With this partnership, I’m excited for us to bridge together the HAVI's deep expertise in community-based violence prevention with KP’s clinical focus and expertise.   This commitment and partnership brings me great hope: That we’ll continue to work together to end this epidemic and identify ways that all of us - including hospitals and health systems - can address the trauma gun violence inflicts on individuals and communities, and prevent these senseless acts of violence from occurring.   https://bit.ly/3wAUUA5

🔍 Addressing the Public Health Crisis of Firearm Violence 🚨 Efforts to combat the rising public health crisis of firearm violence are being hindered by a lack of scientific evidence on which laws and policies are effective. This critical issue was the focus of a recent virtual seminar by the University of Pennsylvania's Leonard David Institute of Health Economics (LDI), co-sponsored by the Penn Injury Science Center. Therese Richmond, PhD, RN, moderated the session and highlighted alarming statistics: annually, the U.S. sees over 26,000 suicides by gun, 20,000 homicides, 549 unintentional shootings, and 995 other firearm deaths. Tragically, firearm homicides are 11 times higher for Black males than white males, and more children and adolescents die from firearm injuries than any other cause. Despite new funding and research since the lifting of the Dickey Amendment restrictions in 2019, significant gaps remain in understanding how different laws impact gun violence. Panelists Andrew Morral, PhD, Joseph Richardson, Jr., PhD, and Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, MD, PhD, discussed the complexities of state gun laws and the urgent need for rigorous research to identify effective policies. Key Insights: 🔹Child-Access Prevention (CAP) Laws: Associated with reductions in firearm injuries and deaths among young people. 🔹Restrictive Concealed-Carry Laws: Linked to reductions in firearm homicides but challenged by recent Supreme Court rulings. 🔹Stand-Your-Ground Laws: Correlated with increases in firearm homicides. Morral emphasized the need to enforce existing laws, like firearm surrender statutes in domestic violence cases, which often go unenforced. Rowhani-Rahbar highlighted the importance of examining social policies as determinants of firearm violence. Richardson advocated for the expansion and study of hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs), which show promise but require more evidence to identify their most effective components. Looking Ahead: 🔹Morral: Enforce firearm surrender from prohibited possessors. 🔹Rowhani-Rahbar: Strengthen communities economically to reduce violence. 🔹Richardson: Reform felony disenfranchisement policies to reduce recidivism and associated violence. Support evidence-based approaches to reduce firearm violence and create safer communities for everyone. 📽 Watch the Seminar video here https://lnkd.in/gfGDiC88 #GunViolencePrevention #PublicHealth #ResearchForChange #SafetyFirst

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has declared gun violence a public health crisis, due to increasing firearm-related injuries and deaths. Emphasizing the need for safety in everyday activities, he proposed measures such as banning automatic rifles, universal background checks for gun purchases, firearms industry regulation, laws restricting public gun use, and penalties for unsafe gun storage practices. This declaration highlights the critical importance of addressing this crisis through comprehensive actions. As clinicians, our advocacy and expertise can significantly contribute to gun violence prevention and creating a safer future. At People Power Health, our commitment to advocating for this cause is more vital than ever. We had the honor of interviewing Dr. Joseph Sakran, a renowned trauma surgeon, policy advisor, and public health expert, as well as a nationally recognized advocate for gun violence prevention. Dr. Sakran shared his powerful insights, emphasizing the importance of prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted 2020 as the year with the highest gun-related deaths in the U.S, stressing the need for effective prevention and safety measures. Limiting firearm access could create a safer society. Despite opposition from groups like the NRA, clinicians play a crucial role in advocating for change. Witnessing the aftermath of gun violence firsthand, they can drive significant policy changes through research, education, and support for comprehensive solutions. #PublicHealth #Safety #Advocacy #Prevention #CliniciansForChange

Gun violence has a particularly devastating impact on women, with studies showing that women are more likely to be victims of intimate partner violence involving firearms. Do you know that: In the U.S., the majority of intimate partner homicides involve a gun; approximately 80% of these victims are women The trauma of experiencing or witnessing gun violence can have long-lasting physical and psychological effects on women, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The presence of a gun in the house increases the risk of intimate partner violence during pregnancy. AMWA is addressing the impact of gun violence by advocating for stronger gun control measures, as well as increased access to resources for victims of domestic violence with the intent to drive a societal shift in attitudes towards gender-based violence. In 2023, the AMWA-Gun Violence Solutions Working Group published a report, Health Professionals Call for Urgent Public Health Action, identifying three strategies to address the adverse effects of gun violence on children: (1) Issue a public health action advisory and action plan, addressing gun violence as the number one cause of death in U.S. children, (2) Require equitable data practices, and (3) Promote a child-focused definition of gun violence to include exposure to gun violence. AMWA has joined national coalitions, including the Newtown Action Alliance, which meets regularly on Mondays for Lunch and Lobby Sessions. Join AMWA’s Gun Violence Solutions Working Group to help advocate for stronger gun control measures and promote education among healthcare professionals and students. We applaud the recent advisory issued by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America and look forward to supporting the strategic recommendations laid out in the report. https://lnkd.in/g88bdKJQ REFS: Sorenson SB, Schut RA. Intimate partner violence and its relationship to gun violence.Trauma Violence Abuse. 2018;19(4):431-442. Stockl H et al. The global prevalence of intimate partner homicide: A systemic review. Lancet. 2013;382(9895):859-865.\ Campbell JC. Glass N, Sharps PW, Laughon K, Bloom T. Intimate Partner Homicide: Rev Implic Res Pol. Trauma, Violence, Abuse, 2007;8(3):246-269. https://lnkd.in/gmmDVWxA Vivek Murthy #endgunviolencenow

The American Public Health Association welcomes the Surgeon General's Advisory on Firearm Violence This important advisory will help to educate the public about the devastating toll that gun violence takes on the health of our nation through suicide, violent crime and unintentional shootings. It also includes important recommendations outlining a public health approach to addressing this crisis, including improving research and data collection, implementing community violence reduction programs, requiring safe storage of firearms and keeping firearms out of the wrong hands through the implementation of universal background checks for all firearm purchases and extreme risk protection orders and domestic violence protection orders. In the United States, gun violence is a major public health crisis and a leading cause of preventable premature death. It is particularly stark among children and adolescents, a population for which firearm-related violence is the leading cause of death. In 2022, more than 48,000 individuals, including more than 4,600 children and adolescents, died as a result of gun violence and many more suffered nonfatal gun injuries. In addition to the direct loss of lives due to firearm violence, children and others are struggling with the mental health implications caused by the all-too-common acts of firearm violence in our schools, places of worship and other public venues where we gather with family and friends. Preventing death, disability and injury from gun violence requires a comprehensive public health approach. We welcome the Surgeon General’s advisory and the funding Congress has provided for gun violence prevention research. APHA will continue our efforts to advocate for this important funding and other measures to reduce gun violence, working with Congress and the Biden administration to address this ongoing public health threat. We also call on all Americans to raise their voice and take action to end gun violence.” Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gYfUa93C #PublicHealth #Violence #Advocacy #APHA

#InTheNews: Experts, government outline healthcare strategies for gun violence prevention at Northwell's annual forum Providers, researchers and government officials gathered Tuesday to discuss the "urgent public health crisis" of gun violence and throw their weight behind a new multimillion-dollar awareness campaign. The event, held in New York City and hosted by Northwell Health, drew big crowds in person and online, and even former President Bill Clinton, who delivered a keynote address. “You can make a difference," Clinton told the audience. “You have to save the lives you can and make the progress you can and keep hoping that one day, there will be a significant breakthrough on this issue." The Ad Council, a nonprofit focused on public service advertising, announced at the forum it would be spearheading a new national awareness campaign, funded by hospitals and health systems, to address gun violence and its impact on youth. The effort is being funded by members of the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention and Safety. That group, formed in 2022, now includes more than 50 executives of some of the largest hospitals and health systems in the U.S. They have pledged $10 million to the Ad Council campaign, which hopes to raise $40 million over the next two years. Among the funders so far are Northwell, Intermountain Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Children’s Hospital Association, Yale New Haven Health and others. “Positive change, no matter how small, is important,” Michael Dowling, Northwell president and CEO, said in introductory remarks emphasizing that gun violence is a public health issue. https://lnkd.in/eJ9zY2Sc #ViolencePrevention #PublicHealth #HealthSystems

More than 48,000 Americans lost their lives to firearms in 2021, twice that many were injured, and millions more experienced the trauma associated with such violence. 💔 Yesterday the nonpartisan Aspen Health Strategy Group (AHSG) published a report examining the urgent need to reduce firearm injury and opportunities for health sector leaders to curb it. This report advances “Five Big Ideas” to reduce health harms associated with firearms: 1. The health sector should lead in efforts to reduce the harms of firearm injury. 2. The right to keep and bear arms should be understood to encompass responsibilities that promote firearm safety. 3. Firearms should be less readily available to people at risk of self-harm or harming others. 4. Models that reduce levels of community violence should be supported and expanded. 5. The nation should close the information gaps that impede our ability to reduce firearm injury.

How does the threat of firearms impact healthcare providers’ and patients’ well-being and safety? This is not often included in conventional conversations on these topics. At the minimum, there should be standard screening methods in place - to protect providers and patients. Sharing Jessica Singh, MD, NBC-HWC, ACC's latest OpED with you - published in MedPage Today: Is It Time for Hospitals to Implement Weapons Screening?— Gun violence in hospitals is rising -- we need a bold new safety approach. #patientsafety #gunsafetyinhospitals #healthcareprovidersafety https://lnkd.in/e-b46q-A