Northwell Health has released a first-of-its-kind digital implementation toolkit designed to help hospitals and health systems across the United States build and expand gun violence prevention programs, addressing firearm injury as a public health crisis.

Unveiled at Northwell's 2026 Gun Violence Prevention Forum, the toolkit — titled Guiding Health Systems to Action on Firearm Injury & Violence Prevention — was developed with support from the Joyce Foundation and draws on contributions from health systems nationwide. It summarizes nearly 100 clinical, community, and system-level strategies that health systems may adopt and adapt to meet their communities' unique needs.

The resource equips healthcare leaders and frontline staff with strategies to tailor best practices to specific patient and geographic contexts, overcome common barriers to implementation, and identify sustainable funding streams. It draws on existing resources, conversations with healthcare leaders, and Northwell's own National Institutes of Health-funded research.

Chethan Sathya, MD, a pediatric trauma surgeon and director of the Center for Gun Violence Prevention at Northwell, said, "There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gun violence prevention as firearm suicide, unintentional injury, interpersonal and community violence, and mass shootings impact each community differently. For years, health care providers around the country have been building and researching approaches to reduce firearm injuries and prevent gun violence. This resource brings those lessons and best practices together in one place. We're grateful to the leadership here at Northwell Health and the Joyce Foundation for taking the bold step to prioritize gun violence prevention work, and to our health system partners for expertise and support."

Soledad Adrianzén McGrath, Joyce Foundation's program director for the Gun Violence Prevention and Justice Reform Program, said, "The Joyce Foundation has long supported efforts to reduce gun violence through evidence-based approaches. This toolkit reflects the depth of work already underway in clinical settings across the country and provides a roadmap to help more health systems take part in that progress. We're grateful to our partners at Northwell Health, and the many health sector stakeholders they work with, for putting together this resource."

John D'Angelo, MD, president and CEO of Northwell Health, said, "Gun violence is a public health crisis that demands action from all of us – and health care has a unique responsibility and platform to lead. Thanks to Northwell's Center for Gun Violence Prevention team and support from the Joyce Foundation, we're able to equip and empower every hospital and health system to meaningfully address this crisis in their communities."

The full toolkit can be downloaded at https://onwardpublishing.com/nh/gvptoolkitX/#page=1 

Northwell Health is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses, and over 20,000 physicians.