The American College of Physicians has issued a statement condemning the May 3 shooting at Northside Hospital Medical Midtown in Atlanta that left one dead and four injured.
The ACP urges for improved firearm policies in the United States to prevent firearms-related injuries and death in the May 4 statement. The statement also discusses the ACP's policies that have aimed to address the "public health crisis" surrounding firearms.
"[This] incident was particularly heart-rending because it happened in what should be a place of healing," ACP president Omar Atiq, MD, said in the statement. "Our patients, my fellow physicians, and our other colleagues in medical facilities deserve to feel safe when seeking medical care or performing their jobs."
The statement was published just one week after the association announced its firearm safety initiative, which includes online resources for physicians, as well as a guide for speaking with patients about firearm injury and a video that provides tips and guidance for having those conversations.