Northwell Health is hosting its fifth annual Gun Violence Prevention Forum on Feb. 27, featuring healthcare, government, business and community leaders and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
The half-day forum coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, signed into law by President Clinton, who will share his perspective on the bipartisan legislation, lessons learned from it, and calls to action for communities and organizations to address the gun violence epidemic today.
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell leads several initiatives to prevent gun violence and has been instrumental in building coalitions across healthcare to join its efforts. Its National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention & Safety now includes 53 executives of some of the largest hospitals and health systems in the U.S. Councilmember CEOs from Intermountain Health, Hackensack-Meridian Health, Hartford Healthcare, Main Line Health, and The MetroHealth System will attend the forum.
Other speakers for the event include Mark Bryant, executive director of the Gun Violence Archive; Stefanie Feldman, director of the White House's Office of Gun Violence Prevention; Megan Ranney, MD, dean, School of Public Health at Yale University; and Steve Sumner, MD, senior advisor for the CDC's Division of Violence Prevention.
"For us to make lasting, meaningful change to end senseless gun deaths — whether unintentional, suicide, or violence — we need to address the issue from many different angles. This Forum is a great example of showcasing that approach," said Chethan Sathya, MD, director of Northwell's Center for Gun Violence Prevention and pediatric trauma surgeon at Cohen Children's Medical Center. "We will continue to make a difference and reduce gun violence together through our partnerships, advocacy, research initiatives, and education on the front lines and in our communities."
Those interested in learning more about the forum or attending virtually can find additional information here.