Physician Groups Representing 426,000 Doctors: Gun Violence MUST STOP

Jun 13, 2016

The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Psychiatric Association offer our sincere condolences to the victims of the Orlando shootings, their families, and the Orlando community.

These unspeakable acts highlight gun violence as a grim and increasing public health epidemic that kills approximately 91 Americans every day. THIS MUST STOP.

Our organizations and many others have called on Congress to provide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with funding for research into the causes and prevention of gun violence. In addition, we published a joint editorial on gun violence in the Annals of Internal Medicine. We must take a proactive approach to curb gun violence by addressing firearm safety, violence in the media, mental health and many other issues.

As physicians, we focus on prevention and healing. Attacks on any American -- regardless of sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, and ethnicity -- are attacks on us all. It is time to prevent this sort of senseless violence and heal all those who have suffered from it. Our organizations will continue to urge decision makers to recognize violence as a public health threat and to take action to reduce its devastating effects.

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Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents 124,900 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s award-winning consumer website, www.FamilyDoctor.org(www.familydoctor.org).

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 64,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org or follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation's leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of more than 57,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. Visit ACOG at www.acog.org.

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 143,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose 36,500 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders.

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