Surgeons on the Frontline of Gun Violence: Media meet and greet with surgeons who treat firearm violence victims

SAN DIEGO: Surgeons who care for victims of firearm violence every day and are involved in advocacy efforts and research on gun safety and violence prevention will be available to talk with members of the media next week in person at the San Diego Convention Center and virtually through the YouTube Live platform. This session will precede a panel presentation at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2022.

Surgeons in attendance at the meet and greet will be available to speak about the following topics:

• The scope of the current problem of firearm injuries in the U.S.
• Successful methods of firearm injury prevention
• Effective strategies for firearm injury prevention
• The ACS approach to policy and advocacy for firearm injury prevention

The ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) has called for a public health and medical approach to address the issue, and for bipartisan solutions to reduce the rising number of deaths and serious injuries from firearm violence. The ACS COT’s Firearms Strategy Team (FAST) has proposed specific recommendations to reduce firearm injury, death, and disability.

The media meet and greet and panel session comes in the wake of the second Medical Summit on Firearm Injury Prevention, which was convened in Chicago, Illinois, September 10-11, 2022, to lay out priorities for addressing America’s public health crisis. Forty-seven multidisciplinary medical and injury prevention professional organizations participated in the Summit. Updates from the Summit will be discussed during the meet and greet.

WHAT: A live meet and greet for media featuring three national surgeon leaders who will discuss how to make progress in reducing the preventable morbidity and mortality related to firearms violence and injuries. The media meet and greet will precede the panel presentation “Surgeons on the Frontline of Gun Violence” at the ACS Clinical Congress 2022 in San Diego, California, (October 16–20).

WHEN: Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 8:30 a.m. PDT

WHERE: In-person, Room 21, San Diego Convention Center.  Journalists must bring appropriate identification and register for media credentials first in the ACS Media Room, Office E, Mezzanine Level of the convention center.

**Virtually, the event will be livestreamed on the ACS Media Center: https://www.facs.org/media-center/ **

DETAILS: This session for the media will include a summary and preview of the panel presentation, along with a Q&A for reporters.

Reporters are encouraged to register for the conference online if they wish to view the panel session after attending this meet and greet. 

• To obtain media credentials for the panel session on Wednesday, October 19,  visit: https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/conferences-and-meetings/clinical-congress-2022/media/credentials/
• To attend the meet and greet in-person, email [email protected].
• To view the meet and greet virtually, visit the ACS Media Center at 8:30 a.m. PDT.
• Reporters are invited to submit questions in advance to [email protected].
• A COVID-19 health and safety protocol is in place for all conference attendees. View it in advance on the ACS website.

Expert Panelists

• 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
  
  
• Brendan T. Campbell, MD, MPH, FACS
  Donald Hight Endowed Chair of General Pediatric Surgery
  Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
  Chair of the ACS COT Injury Prevention and Control Committee
  Hartford, Connecticut

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

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About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 84,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.