Northwell Health ad campaign urges hospital execs to advocate for gun reform

Northwell Health's leadership is trying to spur the hospital industry to take action on gun violence.

Michael Dowling, president and CEO of New York-based Northwell Health system, said the need for the healthcare industry to break its collective silence on gun violence was the impetus behind a new national marketing campaign the system launched Thursday in the New York Times to call on providers to become more vocal in advocating for gun legislation.

"If we're in the business of health and in the business of protecting our communities, then I do think there is a responsibility and obligation of healthcare organizations to actually raise their voices about this, and hopefully do it in a collective way," Dowling said.

Earlier this month, Dowling sent a letter to the CEOs of the 30 top health systems in the country asking for their support and leverage their collective influence and resources to lobby lawmakers to take action on gun reform and to work to spark a rational public conversation about what to do about the problem.