Northwell’s Firearm Safety Tool Expands Nationwide via Epic EHR Integration
Event summary
- Northwell Health’s firearm safety screening tool integrated into Epic’s May 2026 EHR update, available nationwide.
- Tool screens patients for firearm injury risk, refers high-risk patients to intervention programs, and provides gun locks.
- Northwell has screened over 100,000 ER patients since 2020 using this research-backed methodology.
- Epic’s white paper guides health systems on implementing the screening tool and collecting standardized data.
The big picture
Northwell’s tool represents the healthcare sector’s growing role in addressing gun violence as a public health issue. The integration with Epic—used by thousands of hospitals—signals a shift toward standardized, scalable prevention strategies. Northwell’s leadership in this space, backed by NIH and Joyce Foundation funding, positions it as a key player in depolarizing gun safety discussions and reducing firearm-related injuries and deaths.
What we're watching
- Adoption Pace
- How quickly Epic’s 325M-patient network will implement Northwell’s screening tool.
- Data Utilization
- Whether standardized data collection will accelerate gun violence research and prevention strategies.
- Scalability
- The effectiveness of Northwell’s model when applied across diverse healthcare systems nationwide.
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