SAN ANTONIO – The American College of Surgeons hosted a news conference on Thursday morning to discuss the “public health crisis” surrounding guns in the wake of the Uvalde shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers.
University Hospital’s Dr. Ronald Stewart was among the trauma surgeons who spoke at the event. View the full press conference in the video player above.
The surgeons urged lawmakers to understand the root causes of violence and make gun ownership as safe as possible.
Because they treat trauma victims, they also explained the impacts that a high-velocity weapon has on the body. The ACS said that Dr. Stewart was among the trauma surgeons who treated the victims of the Uvalde school shooting.
Since the shooting last Tuesday, a 10-year-old boy was released from University Hospital, and two children and one woman remain hospitalized there. Two adult shooting victims are still hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center.
“Firearm violence is a growing public health crisis that must be urgently addressed,” according to a news release from ACS. “Our surgeons are on the front lines dealing with the devastating effects of this crisis and are advocating for bipartisan solutions to reduce the rising numbers of deaths and serious injuries that are arriving in trauma centers on a daily basis.”
The full list of speakers included:
Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS. Executive Director, American College of Surgeons.
Ronald M. Stewart, MD, FACS. Chair, Department of Surgery, University Hospital – San Antonio. Former Medical Director, ACS Trauma Programs.
Eileen M. Bulger, MD, FACS. Professor & Acting Division Chief, Division of Trauma, Burns, & Critical Care.
Patrick V. Bailey, MD, MLS, FACS. ACS Medical Director for Advocacy
Jeffrey Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS. ACS Committee on Trauma.