WEEKLY UPDATE: 06/12/24
On Friday, June 7 for National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Trinity Health Of New England’s Saint Francis Hospital united advocates, Hartford city leaders, and healthcare workers to raise awareness about this urgent public health crisis. At the ceremony, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam declared June 7 Gun Violence Awareness Day in the city.
Saint Francis emergency department and trauma physicians were joined by Connecticut Children’s, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Hartford Communities That Care, Inc., CT Against Gun Violence, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, Mothers United Against Violence, Compass Youth Collaborative, and other community and hospital leaders. Noting the number of gunshot victims in the capital city last year was the lowest in decades, according to the Hartford Police Department, speakers stressed the importance of hospitals and health systems continuing to partner with community organizations to prevent senseless gun violence sending patients to Connecticut’s emergency rooms.
“People call them victims. They’re patients. They’re community members, brothers, sisters, children, parents. These are people that are being affected, and their whole life changes in a millisecond,” said Saint Francis Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Shapiro.
For two decades, Saint Francis has been partnering with community-based organizations to run its Hospital Violence Intervention Program (HVIP), providing wrap-around care for victims of violence, offering field experience in a hospital-based food pantry for youth who have been impacted by violence, and embedding an HVIP specialist within the emergency department to serve as the liaison between ED staff and families. CHA and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) last year honored the program with Connecticut’s Hospital Community Service Award.
Connecticut hospitals are committed to engaging and fostering relationships with community agencies to implement a caring, skilled, collaborative approach to prevent and reduce gun violence throughout the state.
Click here to watch the press conference.
