County Hospital Boss Says Gun Violence A 'Major Public Health Disaster'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County government and healthcare officials on Tuesday applauded the American Medical Association's decision to declare gun violence is a public health crisis that requires federally funded research.
Dr. Jay Shannon, chief executive officer of the Cook County Health & Hospitals system, said gun violence is more than a "public health crisis," as the AMA declared after the mass shooting in Orlando last week; it's a "major public health disaster."
"Just as we use research to curb the spread of infectious diseases like Ebola and Zika, research is needed to understand better how to address gun violence," he said.
However, since 1996, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been banned from studying the causes of gun violence.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the National Rifle Association has long prevented government funding of gun-related research.
"Prohibiting the Centers for Disease Control from conducting such research flies in the face of common sense, and hinders our ability to address this national scourge," she said. "The NRA is funded by gun manufacturers. Would we allow brewers and distillers to block federally funded research into alcoholism? I don't think so."
Doctors at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County have gotten very good at what some call "resurrection medicine" – saving the lives of gunshot victims. Shannon said if they come in with a pulse, odds are good they'll live, but in some cases the costs can be astronomical.