The Ad Council, Coalition of Health Systems and Hospitals Tackle America’s Most Urgent Public Health Crisis: Gun Violence

The Ad Council Americaamp8217s leading nonprofit driving nonpartisan social change through fully integrated communications initiatives will lead the development of this new campaign funded by members of the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention and Safety This group of chief executives represents some of the nationamp8217s largest health systems and hospitals that are providing funding strategic insight and issue expertise on gun violence prevention for the campaign This initial donation of 10 million is the seed of a greater 40 million fundraising goal over the next two years to support the effortamp8217s largescale plans to reduce firearm deaths and injuries in the United StatesA recent analysis of CDC data by KFF shows that firearm injuries have been the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 119 for three consecutive years Additionally in August 2023 Northwell Health researchers published a study in the American Academy of Pediatrics39 flagship journal that reported 4752 pediatric firearm deaths in 2021 a number that reflects a 416 percent increase from 2018 to 2021 And according to a new poll from the Ad Council Research Institute ACRI a majority 79 of adults in America find gun violence to be one of their top concerns However only 26 selected gun injuries as the leading cause of death among children demonstrating a need for further education Given this disheartening data a major focus of the campaignamp8217s messaging will be on promoting prevention strategies to curtail gun violence and its impact on youthIn collaboration with the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention and Safety the Ad Council is convening a broad coalition across the advertising health care marketing media and tech industries to develop this new initiative with probono support from creative agency GUT Miami The campaign seeks to elevate the issue of gun violence in America and its impact on youth shifting away from divisive politically charged conversations to those focused on public health approaches that have proven effective in combating this epidemic With datadriven strategies and expert insights the campaign will provide people throughout the country with a deeper understanding of the individual actions both gun owners and nongun owners can take in their homes and communities to protect our nationamp8217s youth and save livesamp8220Gun injuries are the number one killer of youth in America a fact that demands action But itamp8217s an issue that cannot be confronted by just one organization aloneamp8221 said Lisa Sherman president and CEO of the Ad Council amp8220American hospitals deal with the ramifications of gun violence every day and weamp8217re proud to partner with our nationamp8217s leading hospitals and health systems public health experts and some of the best minds in the media and advertising communities to educate individuals on actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of gun violence and make our children communities and nation safer Together we can address this issue head on and reposition it as what this truly is a public health crisis that impacts us allamp8221Though tackling the crisis of gun violence may feel like a daunting taskamp8212and most Americans believe that gun violence will increase over the next five yearsamp8212there is common ground and broad agreement on several paths forward And according to the Johns Hopkins 2023 National Gun Policy Survey a majority of Americans regardless of political affiliation or gunowning status felt similarly about the potential for these solutions showing that there are steps we can all take to reduce gun violence in our nationamp8220While gun deaths and injuries are still disturbingly high especially among young people we are beginning to see progress in making our communities safer thanks to continued collaboration and partnership like the campaign we are announcing todayamp8221 said Michael Dowling Northwell Health president and CEO whose outreach efforts led to the creation of the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention and Safety and who in 2021 established a Gun Violence Prevention Learning Collaborative for Health Systems and Hospitals that now includes more than 600 health care professionals from 38 states focused on the implementation of evidencebased firearm injury prevention strategies amp8220I applaud my fellow CEOs who are supporting the Ad Council campaign and implore other health care leaders across the country to take a leadership role in reshaping the public narrative on gun violenceamp8221amp8220Intermountain Health is pleased to be a part of this important initiativeamp8221 said Rob Allen president and CEO of Intermountain Health which operates a health system in seven western states amp8220Gun safety is an important part of our community health focus By focusing on the use of gun trigger locks safe and secure storage of firearms and making mental health and suicide prevention resources widely available our communities are seeing a positive differenceamp8221amp8220Gun violence is a public health crisis for children and their familiesamp8221 said Matt Cook CEO of Childrenamp8217s Hospital Association the national voice for more than 200 childrenamp8217s hospitals in the United States amp8220Childrenamp8217s hospitals are on the frontlines of pediatric emergency care treating children and teens as they heal from the acute physical and enduring emotional wounds of gun violence and supporting their families as they recover It is our duty as an association of childrenamp8217s hospitals to bring awareness to the youth gun violence crisis and we are proud to join with other hospital leaders in a campaign to make children saferamp8221Health systems and hospitals throughout the country have seen firsthand the toll gun violence takes on communities They collectively treat tens of thousands of gun injuries annually and health care workers and first responders serve on the frontlines treating patients and their families The unique point of view health care providers have in treating victims of gun violence and working to prevent gun violence in their communities will be instrumental in shaping the campaignamp8217s strategy bringing urgency and credibility to this issue in a powerful wayLead funding for the new national project spearheaded by the Ad Council has been provided by BJC Health System Froedtert ThedaCare Health Inc Intermountain Health Johns Hopkins Medicine MedStar Health and Northwell Health Significant funding has also been provided by Children39s Hospital Association Endeavor Health and Yale New Haven Health The new initiative builds on the success of existing efforts activations and campaigns from these health systems and hospitals and brings together a unified force across industries to more holistically address this crisis All funds raised for this new 40 million initiative go toward the research development and creation of campaign assetsamp8212per the Ad Council model campaign materials are run in time and space donated by the mediaTo further ensure all campaign communications are evidencedbased the Ad Council has convened an Issue Advisory Council comprised of subjectmatter experts in gun violence prevention These advisors represent a wide range of expertise including public health epidemiology suicide prevention mental health community and interpersonal violence policy as well as perspectives as gun violence survivors and will help guide the campaignamp8217s strategy and messagingChristian Heyne amp8211 Chief Programs and Policy Officer BradyNicole Hockley amp8211 Cofounder and CEO Sandy Hook PromiseDr Kurt Michael amp8211 Senior Clinical Director The Jed FoundationDr Ali RowhaniRahbar amp8211 Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence Interim Director of the Firearm Injury and Policy Research Program University of WashingtonDr Chethan Sathya amp8211 Director Northwell Health Center for Gun Violence Prevention Pediatric Surgeon Trauma Director Cohen Childrenamp8217s Medical CenterAnthony Smith amp8211 Executive Director Cities UnitedDr Laura Vargas amp8211 Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical CenterDr Ashley Williams amp8211 Trauma Acute Care ampamp Burn Surgeon USA Health University Hospital Director USA Center for Healthy Communities Founder ampamp Director Project InspireBuilding from the model developed by the Ad Council for its groundbreaking COVID19 Vaccine Education Initiative which reached more than 75 of those eligible to get vaccinated against the virus the nonprofit is evolving this approach to comprehensively address gun violence prevention This includes a coalitionbased and multiaudience approach mobilizing the advertising media and marketing industries to tackle gun violence prevention in AmericaData shows intervention exists in many forms for gun violence prevention This new effort will complement both the successful quotEnd Family Firequot and forthcoming Extreme Risk Laws Education campaigns developed by the Ad Council and Brady These campaigns focus on two evidencedbased solutions safe gun storage and education on statelevel extreme risk laws assuring responsible access and safeguarding of guns to prevent gun violencePosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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The Ad Council, Coalition of Health Systems and Hospitals Tackle America’s Most Urgent Public Health Crisis: Gun Violence

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The Ad Council, Coalition of Health Systems and Hospitals Tackle America’s Most Urgent Public Health Crisis: Gun Violence

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