15-04-2025
OhioHealth joins national youth gun violence prevention campaign
The OhioHealth hospital system has joined over a dozen other health care organizations to form a national initiative to prevent youth gun violence.
Why it matters: Firearms have been the leading cause of death for U.S. children ages 1-17 for three years in a row.
Driving the news: The newly formed " Agree to Agree" campaign will share tangible actions that individuals and communities can take to reduce firearm injuries among children and teens.
The big picture: Agree to Agree aims to "comprehensively address" the issue of gun violence with an apolitical message focusing as much on suicide and unintentional shootings as intentional shootings.
Despite suicides making up the majority of gun deaths in America, Shay O'Mara, clinical VP of surgery for OhioHealth Clinical Enterprise, tells Axios that "people aren't talking about potential suicide and potential accidental injuries. All we hear about in the news is homicides."
By the numbers: OhioHealth says it treated 423 gunshot wounds last year at its Central Ohio trauma centers and emergency departments.
Between the lines: Unlike some movements based around legislation or political change, Agree to Agree is focusing largely on branding and marketing to reach common ground.
The nonprofit Ad Council will lead outreach efforts, which O'Mara says is a crucial part of the program.
"If you look back at their history — Smokey the Bear, drug campaigns, all the other things they've done — they have actually moved things forward and made a difference because it started a conversation and brought public awareness."
Friction point: The campaign's coalition also includes gun owners, and O'Mara says "nobody's interested in" talking about banning or taking any guns.
"We're not talking about owning or not owning a gun, we're talking about that gun being used on a child."
Zoom in: Partner organizations are leading their own local outreach efforts.
OhioHealth's first program will be a lock box giveaway at Grant Medical Center in June, which is Gun Violence Awareness Month.
