The Minnesota Medical Association and Minnesota Hospital Association are urging a unified response to gun violence after a mass shooting on Wednesday left four people dead at a Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital campus.
The shooting happened a little before 5 p.m. at Saint Francis Hospital, Tulsa. Police arrived to the scene within three minutes and made contact with the shooter five minutes later according to reports.
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In a statement issued Wednesday night, Minnesota Hospital Association and Minnesota Medical Association wrote:
The mass shootings throughout our nation in recent months due to gun violence are unfathomable. Today’s event in Tulsa again illustrates the staggering plague of gun violence. The hospital, health system, and physician community cannot and will not be silent as gun violence increasingly enters our places of healing, learning, and other community settings – these senseless acts of violence must be stopped. This is a public health crisis and must be addressed.
We express our deepest sympathies to the families and communities whose lives were forever impacted by these recent tragedies. Our hearts are also with the first responders and the medical community that have responded to these mass casualty events. Caregivers and first responders have answered a calling to serve those who are hurting and in need - this senseless loss of life is especially devastating to them.
The Minnesota Medical Association and Minnesota Hospital Association actively worked with a broad coalition of health care stakeholders developing prevention strategies and responses to workplace violence in 2013. The coalition’s work is still guiding health care organizations in identifying risks for violence and putting effective strategies in place to ensure safety of our patients, staff, and visitors.
Minnesota’s health care facilities and campuses must remain places of healing – ensuring they are safe for patients, our staff and volunteers, and visitors. As guardians of community health, we stand ready to work with policymakers and stakeholders on solutions to prevent these tragedies now and in the future.