“We’re recording this in mid-2023,” host Shane Tenny says. “Already, there have been more mass shootings in our country than there have been days in the year. We're pacing about 330 mass shootings as it's often defined, which is atrocious.”

Hearing these numbers is jarring and figuring out how to solve this problem is downright daunting. Where does the solution begin?

On this episode of the Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP® welcomes Dr. David Callaway to discuss the complex issue of gun violence in America. Dr. Callaway brings a distinctive perspective to the conflict, approaching it from the standpoint of a physician, a veteran, a gun owner, a law enforcement officer, a father, and a leader in his community.

Dr. Callaway is an emergency medicine physician at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, the region's only Level I trauma center. He’s been practicing medicine for about 20 years and served as a physician with the United States Navy and the Marine Corps, as well as in Iraq with a mobile surgical unit. After leaving active duty in 2005, Dr. Callaway spent the bulk of his career working on security and violence-related issues with law enforcement and now serves as a sworn Task Force officer with US Marshals. Needless to say, he has extensive experience with guns, violence, and the law.

Together, Shane and Dr. Callaway needle through tough gun violence topics. Dr. Callaway shares his beliefs in coalitions and the importance of getting everyone to agree on a single issue.

Tune in to hear about Dr. Callaway’s belief in gun safety and gun ownership accountability as two of the first steps to be prioritized in combating gun violence.

💡 Featured Guest 💡

Name: Dr. David W. Callaway, MD, MPA

What he does: Dr. David W. Callaway is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Atrium Health where he serves as the Director of the Division of Operational and Disaster Medicine and Enterprise Chief of Crisis Operations and Sustainability. Outside of the medical center, Dr. Callaway also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Team Rubicon, an international disaster response NGO, and as a sworn U.S. Marshal Task Force Officer.

Company: Atrium Health

Words of wisdom: “You can’t have a right without responsibility.”

Connect: LinkedIn

💰 On the Money 💰

Top takeaways from this episode

• Choose the main problem that needs to be solved. When it comes to majorly complex systemic issues like gun violence, Dr. Callaway argues that the first step to solving the problem is getting all sides to agree on and pinpoint the actual issue. Is the issue access to guns? Is it the types of guns? Is it safety rules? For Dr. Callaway, the most important problem is the death rates. Getting all parties to agree on that is pivotal to finding a solution.
• Don’t be afraid to get involved. Physicians are natural community leaders. People look to them for guidance and reassurance. Dr. Callaway encourages all physicians, regardless of their specialty, to get familiar with their community’s gun and firearm safety and prevention policies.
• The government will follow the money. “The government doesn’t lead. It follows, and it follows the money,” says Dr. Callaway. This is why physicians and health care systems are a key part of this fight — health systems have the money. Therefore, physicians need to come together with their communities and take steps to solve this.

⚡ Prosperous Insights ⚡

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