ACS advisory on firearm public health crisis

We hope you can join tomorrow’s livestream from the American College of Surgeons’ press conference in Washington D.C. on our country’s firearm public health crisis.

University Hospital’s Dr. Ronald Stewart will be among the speakers addressing the need for leaders to work together to understand and address the root causes of violence, while simultaneously making firearm ownership as safe as reasonably possible (for those who own a firearm, and for those who do not).

The ACS will share results of its Firearm Strategy Team (FAST), which developed a series of recommendations by tackling this crisis from a public health and medical perspective, rather than a divisive political one. It’s important to note this team found consensus on these recommendations despite their varying opinions related to gun ownership.

This is an important shift in perspective and, we hope, conversation, to address this national crisis. The news conference will be at 9:30 a.m. ET, 8:30 a.m. CT. The ACS advisory and contact information is below:

Media Alert!

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Who: American College of Surgeons leadership; Trauma surgeons who have treated gravely wounded shooting victims
What: NEWS CONFERENCE – Accelerating our response to America’s firearm public health crisis
When: Thursday, June 2, 2022; 9:30 a.m. (EDT); Livestreaming available (details below)
Where: American College of Surgeons - Washington D.C. Office
20 F Street, NW (near the intersection of North Capitol Street)

WASHINGTON, DC (June 1, 2022): Firearm violence is a growing public health crisis that must be urgently addressed. Our surgeons are on the front lines dealing with the devastating effects of this crisis and are advocating for bipartisan solutions to reduce the rising numbers of deaths and serious injuries that are arriving in trauma centers on a daily basis.

During this news conference, leaders from the American College of Surgeons and its Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) will provide an overview of important steps that can be taken to accelerate an effective response to America’s firearm injury and death crisis. Peer-reviewed published recommendations from the ACS COT Firearm Strategy Team (FAST) could help elected officials find common ground to address this crisis. The recommendations—the product of a broad consensus of trauma surgeons, including many who own firearms—present a multi-faceted approach and attainable strategies to reduce firearm violence while respecting a person’s right to own and safely use a firearm.

For more than three decades, the ACS COT has advocated for effective prevention of firearm injuries, and in 2019, brought together 44 national medical and other organizations to develop a consensus on a comprehensive public health and medical approach to address the issue.

Trauma surgeons, including Dr. Ronald M. Stewart who treated Uvalde school shooting victims, will also discuss how they’ve treated patients who have been seriously wounded by high-velocity weapons, how trauma surgeons across the U.S. are dealing with the firearm violence epidemic, and the impact that these devastating incidents are having on trauma care across the country.

Speakers include:
Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS
Executive Director, American College of Surgeons
Washington, D.C., and Chicago, Illinois

Ronald M. Stewart, MD, FACS
Chair, Department of Surgery, University Hospital – San Antonio
Former Medical Director, ACS Trauma Programs
San Antonio, Texas

Eileen M. Bulger, MD, FACS
Professor & Acting Division Chief, Division of Trauma, Burns, & Critical Care
Department of Surgery
University of Washington
Chief of Trauma & Acting Surgeon-in-Chief
Harborview Medical Center
Medical Director, ACS Trauma Programs
Seattle, Washington

Patrick V. Bailey, MD, MLS, FACS
ACS Medical Director for Advocacy
Washington, D.C.

Jeffrey Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS
Brigham Family Endowed Professor/Director
Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma
Birmingham, Alabama

Media registration
Journalists should send an email message confirming their attendance in advance to: pressinquiry@facs.org. They should include their full name, title, and media affiliation. Pre-registration is encouraged to facilitate quick access to the news conference.

Onsite registration begins 30 minutes before the event. Journalists should provide appropriate professional identification at the registration desk (press identification or business card).

Livestreaming information
For media unable to attend in person, the news conference will be livestreamed on our website. Questions for the participants may be submitted for consideration via email to pressinquiry@facs.org.