As a steward of its community’s health, North Philadelphia’s Temple University Hospital knows it is uniquely positioned to address the public health crisis posed by gun violence. For more than a decade, its “Cradle to Grave” program has given at-risk youth an unflinching look at the effects that guns have in their community, in the hope it will deter them from reaching for a gun to settle personal scores and help them realize that gun violence is not the glamorous business sometimes depicted on television and rap music. Examples of other innovative hospital practices to tackle the problem are highlighted on the AHA’s “Hospitals Against Violence” web page, where you also will find tools and resources to support your vital community role in reducing violence. Make no mistake. This needs to be a top priority for every hospital across America. Because no matter how one measures it, the cost of violence in our communities is simply too high to pay.

Related News Articles

Chairperson's File
Public
Workplace violence is never okay, and it’s an issue that is having an increasing impact on our field. Health care professionals are five times more likely to…
Headline
The AHA will accept applications through Oct. 14 for the 2026 AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award. This award recognizes hospitals and health systems that demonstrate…
Chairperson's File
Public
Threats and violence are never okay, and it’s disappointing that we live in a world where this is a reality. Federal data shows that health care workers…
Headline
The AHA July 16 announced five winners of the 2025 AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award for their hospital-led collaborative efforts to improve community…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services June 27 announced the rollout of a 6-year technology-enabled prior authorization program pilot. Through…
Headline
AHA podcast: Food as Medicine — How Cleveland Clinic Is Nourishing Community HealthVickie Johnson, executive vice president and chief community officer at…