Earlier this year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, issued the office’s first-ever advisory on firearm violence, declaring it a public health crisis. This formal acknowledgement of the gun violence crisis is a monumental step. However, the problem is already well known to those of us who work in our nation’s children’s hospitals.
Guns are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the U.S., far exceeding any type of illness or accident. According to the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence, 4,603 children under the age of 19 died from firearms in 2022. The report also states weekly ED visits for firearm injuries were consistently highest among young people ages 15–24 between 2019 and 2022.
CHA is continuing to work with children’s hospitals and health care organizations to address the problem and create solutions. In March, the association joined a national gun violence prevention initiative led by the Ad Council and a growing coalition of hospital and health system leaders. Set to launch in early 2025, the initiative will mobilize advertising, media, and marketing industries to tackle gun violence prevention and safety.
In June, we joined leaders from 30 CHA member hospitals at the White House to talk about the health care industry’s vital role in addressing gun violence. CHA has also worked alongside Northwell Health’s Hospitals United campaign that encourages parents to ask questions about safe firearms storage in homes where their children spend time.
Legislatively, CHA supported efforts to fund gun violence research, protect hospital workers from workplace violence, and assist health care providers as they talk to families about safe firearm storage. We endorsed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which implemented gun safety laws and funded school safety and youth mental health programs, and supported the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act, which would criminalize assault and intimidation of health care workers if passed.
These are steps in the right direction, but we must not become complacent. We must continue to work together to make communities safe for kids to grow, to learn, to play, and to thrive. I encourage you to engage with CHA and your peer hospitals to collaboratively address this problem.
