AHA Letter to Senate in Support of Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act

May 3, 2023

Dear Senators Cardin and Marshall:

On behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups, the American Hospital Association (AHA) writes in support of the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2023.

Your bill would establish a federal grant program through the Department of Health and Human Services to fund violence prevention programs in locations across the nation. Funds authorized by this legislation could be used to initiate programs or expand existing programs at State-designated trauma centers, trauma centers verified by the American College of Surgeons, or other entities that operate programs linked to those trauma centers. Your bill would also allow funds to be used to study the effectiveness of various services and examine impacts on reincarceration and re-admittance rates.

The AHA is committed to helping hospitals and health systems prevent and reduce community violence. Through our Hospitals Against Violence initiative, we educate the hospital field and offer tools, such as programs, webinars, and a dedicated web site to share information and resources related to risk assessments, emergency response best practices, and more. Your bill would provide valuable resources for hospitals to implement violence prevention programs that will further our mission to improve the overall health of the communities we serve.

We applaud your leadership in introducing the Bipartisan Solution to Cyclical Violence Act of 2023, and we look forward to working with you to secure enactment of this important legislation.

Sincerely,

/s/

Stacey Hughes
Executive Vice President