New program uses education and support to address violence-related injuries
Contact: Todd Harper
Phone: (317) 630-7808
Pager: (317) 310-5972
Indianapolis, April 28, 2009 – There are nearly 1.5 million violent crimes committed every year in the United States. Last year in Indianapolis there were 124 homicides in the metro area. Nationwide homicide is the second leading cause of death in people 15-24 years of age.
To decrease these statistics, the IU/Wishard Level I Trauma Center is partnering with Shepherd Community Center to launch a program aimed at addressing violence-related injuries associated with crime in Indianapolis. The initiative aims to reduce violence in three high crime Indianapolis neighborhoods, which include the near eastside, the southeast side and the Martindale-Brightwood area already served by Shepherd Community Center. Funding from the city’s Crime Prevention Advisory Board has been instrumental in the start-up of the program.
“For all diseases including traumatic injuries the best medicine has always been prevention – if you prevent the disease you don’t have to treat the disease. The Prescription for Hope program is intended to do so,” said Dr. Gerardo Gomez, chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgical Services at Wishard and director of the IU/Wishard Level I Trauma Center.
Modeled after a program at San Francisco General Hospital, Wishard Health Services’ Prescription for Hope Program, which officially starts seeing patients on May 4, will work with individuals who were treated in the IU/Wishard Level I Trauma Center for gunshot and stabbing wounds, as well as other assaults. Prior to leaving the hospital a Prescription for Hope team member will help enroll recovering individuals in a life skills mentoring program to prevent a return to the hospital with another violence-related injury or even death. Case management, counseling and referrals for these individuals will be used to reduce the risk of the patient being involved in future criminal activities.
Prescription for Hope will use case management and mentoring and a broad set of wraparound services to help individuals and their families in making safer life choices. Housing, education, job skills, employment, relationship building and healthcare, including treatment for substance abuse, are some of the areas of focus.
Prescription for Hope is based on the framework of a similar program, the Wraparound Project, initiated by the Trauma Center at San Francisco General Hospital in 2005. Dr. Rochelle Dicker, trauma surgeon and director of the Wraparound Project is consulting with the Prescription for Hope team here in Indianapolis and will be available for media interviews on Wednesday, April 29 at noon. Media interested in speaking with Dr. Dicker and talking to members of the Wishard Prescription for Hope Program can meet the Wishard PR staff in the Main Lobby (by the Gift Shop) of Wishard Memorial Hospital. Media vans/trucks may park on the circle in front of the hospital. Please call (317) 310-5972 if you have any questions.