Resources are needed to battle trauma caused by gun violence
In Jan., I returned to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Elvis Presley Trauma Center at Regional One Health with great excitement. Having completed my fellowship training here in 1998, I was well aware of the pioneering trauma care that was started at UTHSC by Dr. Timothy Fabian in 1983.
Over the next four decades, together with Dr. Martin Croce, their ideas set the standard in trauma care and propelled the Elvis Presley Trauma Center to national and international recognition.
My excitement was quickly dampened during my first week, when I saw the local news story of a 10year-old, who tragically died from a gunshot wound. Having been a trauma surgeon for nearly 25 years, I am no stranger to gun violence. Watching this story on the news was particularly heartbreaking, as I could hear the pain in the voice of the child’s mother.
As I continued to see multiple gunshot wound victims each day at the trauma center, I inquired as to how many gunshot victims we see each year. It was staggering — nearly 1,300. While we have been plagued by the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are struggling with a gun violence epidemic in our hometown.
Indeed, the pandemic has exacerbated this epidemic in many urban trauma centers in major cities across our country. Day after day, families and communities are torn apart by this epidemic. When do we decide we have had enough of this uniquely American problem?
Local leaders, such as Bill Gibbons, have called for an end to the scourge of gun violence. Mayor Jim Strickland is searching for answers. Our national trauma surgery organizations continue to push for solutions.
The time is now to tackle this problem
While we have tried to quickly address the public health problem of COVID-19, we have allowed the public health problem of gun violence to linger for far too long. It is important that we recognize gun violence as a public health problem and not a political problem. We need to leave politics out of it.
Just as we do with other public problems, we must study the problem to understand it completely. This will allow us to find solutions, such as background checks, Red Flag laws, gun locks, and gun safety education from physicians.
It will require funding, just like other public health problems. Once we have a better understanding of the problem, we can disseminate important safety information to help curb the problem, just as we have done with seat belts, airbags, and bike helmets.
We need to come together on this issue. Let’s start by coming out on Saturday, Feb. 27, for the Community Walk Against Gun Violence starting at 10 a.m., gathering at 9:30 a.m., at the Hillcrest High School parking lot at 4184 Graceland Drive.
Let’s pledge our support to protect our community.
It’s time to tackle gun violence and reduce the number of people who end up in trauma centers because of it.
Andrew Kerwin, MD, FACS, DABS, is the chief of the Division of Trauma/ Surgical Critical Care at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is also the Surgical Quality Officer at Regional One Health and the chief of Trauma at the Elvis Presley Trauma Center.