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BWH's David Crump (at left) and Duke Thomas, a shooting victim, were part of a panel following a viewing of excerpts from the rough cut of a film about gun violence.
Last month, BWH physicians and specialists working in the field of violence intervention and prevention gathered at BWH to talk about a new documentary film, "The Sweetest Land." Directed and produced by Jeffrey Teitler, the film takes an in-depth look at chronic gun violence in Hartford, Connecticut, capturing firsthand how victims and families deal with trauma and recovery.
The viewing of excerpts from the rough cut of the film was hosted by BWH in collaboration with the International Association of Forensic Nurses Greater New England Chapter. BWH's David Crump, a violence recovery specialist; Reza Askari, MD; and Jonathan Gates, MD, MBA; Thea James, MD, of Boston Medical Center; Duke Thomas, a shooting victim from Hartford; Rev. Henry Brown, of Mothers United Against Violence, based in Hartford; and Teitler discussed the disconnect between support programs and victims of gun violence and their families, and what needs to be done to mend the gap.
In the film, Teitler asks hard questions about why support programs aren't reaching out to people in communities who need them most before it's too late.
Crump, who works with patients admitted to BWH for intentional injuries, knows from experience how difficult it can be to recover both mentally and physically from this type of chronic violence. He was the victim of a shooting 22 years ago and said that while Boston has the resources to help young people in bad situations, there are restrictions as to what specialists in his position can do and say to get through to them.
He wants this to change.
"We need to get rid of the limitations," Crump said. "I think we are on our way, but we really need to think about expanding the work we are doing and doing it on a grass-roots level."
Gates, medical director of Trauma Services, agreed and said every day he takes care of young adults who are in bad situations and get hurt. He thought the film was a great start in opening the lines of communication and conveying to a larger community that changes to the system are needed.
He suggested developing more programs in which hospital specialists and volunteers go into the community to educate community leaders about how hospitals can help in their work. "That's where it starts," Gates said. "We do care and want to be part of the solution. We look out for each other."
Askari, a trauma surgeon, emphasized that work also needs to be done on a national level to end gun violence. He's tired of hearing well-known musicians promoting guns and violence in their songs. "When are we going to change this?" he asked.