Pediatric Gun Violence and Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs

An exploration of factors impacting implementation of a multisystem hospital‐based violence intervention program

“…The development of efficient systems and processes to deliver comprehensive services that address the social determinants of health associated with community‐based gun violence such as high unemployment, poverty, unsafe housing and behavioural health sequela among violent injury survivors is also needed (CDC, 2019; Decker et al, 2020; Sumner et al, 2015). The sustainability and continuation of HVIP programming across hospitals and hospital systems that are traditional competitors is contingent upon the cultivation of multidisciplinary teams of dedicated and influential leaders who can build awareness and momentum for program implementation, secure a steady stream of external funding, design efficient enrolment pathways and create shared data and evaluation systems (HAVI, 2021; Martin‐Mollard & Becker, 2009). The most efficient way to integrate these elements may be to establish HVIP programming as a standard of care that is absorbed into the operation of each of the hospitals.…”