>>> NO MORE SILENCE END GUN
VIOLENCE!
>> SPURRED BY RECENT EVENTS AND
CALLS FOR ACTION, A BIPARTISAN
GROUP OF SENATORS EARLIER THIS
WEEK RELEASED DETAILS ON A GUN
VIOLENCE BILL THAT COULD
OVERCOME A REPUBLICAN FILIBUSTER
AND BECOME LAW.
ONE CENTERPIECE OF THE
COMPROMISE PACKAGE IS A RED FLAG
PROVISION THAT WOULD PROVIDE
SUPPORT FOR STATES TO PASS THEIR
OWN BILLS, CREATING A PROCESS TO
TEMPORARILY REMOVE GUNS FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE DECLARED TO BE A
THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.
JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT A
POTENTIAL RED FLAG LAW IS
DR. BRAD BURMEISTER, AN
EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR IN
GREEN BAY.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> NOW, WISCONSIN DOES NOT HAVE
A RED FLAG LAW.
BUT AS AN E.R. DOCTOR, YOU CAN
AND DO INQUIRE ABOUT GUNS IN THE
HOUSEHOLD IF YOU BELIEVE SOMEONE
IS HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE A DIVERSE NUMBER OF
PATIENTS WHO PRESENT TO THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME
PATIENTS WHO MIGHT BE STRUGGLING
WITH A PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY WHO
PROBABLY -- IT IS NOT SAFE FOR
THEM TO HAVE A GUN IN THEIR
HOME.
NOW, IN WISCONSIN PHYSICIANS DO
NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO REMOVE
GUNS FROM A HOUSE, SO WE'RE
STUCK USING IT AS A RISK
STRATIFICATION TOOL TO HELP
UNDERSTAND WHAT PATIENTS HAVE A
SEF SETTING TO RETURN HO AND WHO
NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED IN THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OR
PSYCHIATRIC SETTING TO HELP
ENSURE THEIR SAFETY --
>> EMERGENCY DETENTION IS A
PROCESS IN WHICH THE LEGAL
SYSTEM GETS INVOLVEMENT.
A RED FLAW LAW.
IS THE OPPOSITE.
IT WOULD DETAIN THE GUNS.
DOES ONE OF THEM MAKE MORE SENSE
TO YOU?
>> THERE ARE LIKELY DIFFERENT
APPLICATIONS FOR BOTH SCENARIO.
CERTAINLY WE KNOW THAT IF
SOMEONE WERE ABLE TO RETURN HOME
WHO MAY BE LOWER RISK FOR
HARMING THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, IF
WE CAN ENSURE THERE'S NO
FIREARMS IN THEIR HOME, WE MAY
BE ABLE TO HELP PRESERVE THE
PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES CENTER FOR
PATIENTS WHO MIGHT BE AT HIGHER
RISK OR MAY NEED MORE INTENSIVE
TREATMENT.
YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HAVING THE
ABILITY TO HAVE THE RED FLAG LAW
IS SOMETHING THAT OUR MEDICAL
SOCIETY -- YOU KNOW, WE
REPRESENT OVER 10,000 MEMBERS IN
WISCONSIN THROUGH MY -- THROUGH
DIVERSE BACKGROUND, BUT WE HAVE
CONSENSUS ON THIS MATTER THAT
PHYSICIANS THINK THIS IS
SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE THE
ABILITY TO DO IN WISCONSIN.
>> FOR EMERGENCY DETENSION, IT
OFTEN INVOLVES ASKING THE
PATIENT.
HOW MUCH SENSE DOES IT MAKE
TO -- TO ASK THE PATIENT THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT IS A FANTASTIC
QUESTION.
AND SOMETHING THAT DIFFERENT
REGIONS IN WISCONSIN REALLY
STRUGGLE WITH.
IN WISCONSIN, WHETHER OR NOT
SOMEONE IS ABLE TO BE DETAINED,
REALLY IS UP TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IT'S NOT A DECISION THAT'S MADE
BY A PHYSICIAN IN THE EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT OR A COMMONLY
PSYCHIATRIST, SOMETHING THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DECIDE.
YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK HAND IN
HAND VERY OFTEN.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE
CHALLENGING AND TAKES SOME MED
EXPERTISE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND
WHAT SORT OF CAPACITY SOMEBODY
HAS TO APPROPRIATELY RELAY THE
INFORMATION OF WHAT THEIR
THOUGHT PROCESS IS.
THERE'S SOME PATIENTS THAT MAY
NOT BE TRUTHFUL IF THEY'RE
SAYING THEY'RE SUICIDAL OR
HOMICIDAL.
SO I THINK THAT IS WHAT'S THE
HAPPENING PART, IS HOW NUANCED
IT IS TO MAKE THAT DECISION, WHO
IS SAFE TO BE MEMBERS IN OUR
COMMUNITY BOTH TO THEMSELVES AND
ALSO THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM.
>> NOW, WHENEVER WE HAVE A MASS
SHOOTING LIKE THE RECENT
EXAMPLES IN BUFFALO OR UVALDE,
TEXAS, DEMOCRATS AT THE NATIONAL
LEVEL TALK ABOUT GUN CONTROL,
REPUBLICANS USUALLY TALK ABOUT
MENTAL HEALTH.
IN IN YOUR PROFESSION, HOW OFTEN
DID YOU REAL -- ARE YOU DEALING
WITH PATIENTS WHO HAVE MENTAL
HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SHOULD WEB
INFLATING THOSE TWO?
>> YOU KNOW, IN THE EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT WE SEE PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING WITH EITHER SUBSTANCE
USE OR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
YOU KNOW O A DAILY BASIS.
IT MAKES UP A RELATIVELY HIGH
VOLUME COMPARATIVELY OF PATIENTS
WHO PRESENT TO THE EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE TWO
AND -- POSSESS A FIREARM AND
MENTAL HEALTH COMMONLY RUN SIDE
BY SIDE WITH EACH ANOTHER.
BUT I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY
OPPORTUNITIES ON BOTH ENDS OF
THAT SPECTRUM TO IMPROVE OUR
REGULATION IN THIS COUNTRY BY
IMPROVING ACCESS TO MENTAL
HEALTH CARE AND SUBSTANCE USE
TREATMENTS, AS WELL AS ALSO
IMPROVING WHO EXACTLY WE ALLOW
TO POSSESS A FIREARM AND TO WHAT
CAPACITY WE ALLOW THAT.
YOU KNOW, A RECENT STUDY
INTERESTINGLY SHOWED THAT STATES
THAT EXPANDED MEDICAID ACTUALLY
HAD IMPROVED RATES OF SUICIDE
PRESUMABLY DUE TO INCREASED
ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES.
>> SO ARE YOU HOPEFUL THAT THE
NATIONAL DEBATE WILL ACTUALLY
LEAD TO SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP
YOU IN YOUR JOB OR PREVENT MASS
SHOOTINGS?
>> YEAH.
WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC AT THIS
POINT THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
YEARS OR POSSIBLY DECADES, THERE
ARE GOOD EARNEST CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT MEASURES WE CAN TAKE AS A
NATION TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO
FIREARMS.
YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, AS
PHYSICIANS, WE BELIEVE THAT WE
DO HAVE THE CONSTITUTION AND WE
NEED TO WORK WITHIN THE
CONSTRAINTS OF THAT DOCUMENT HAS
PROVIDED TO THE AMERICAN
CITIZENS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW
THAT THERE'S WHAT WE THINK ARE
COMMON SENSE APPROACHES TO LIMIT
ACCESS TO PEOPLE WHO IT'S VERY
LIKELY IS JUST NOT SAFE TO HAVE
ACCESS TO THAT -- TO THAT
WEAPON.
>> THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.