Birmingham officials launch violence intervention program at UAB hospital
Deborah Daniels, director of the Offender Alumni Association, discusses the new program to support victims of gun violence.
Birmingham city leaders and health officials hope a new hospital-based violence intervention program will improve outcomes for survivors of gun violence.
The program, which has been in the works for years, recently launched out of UAB Hospital, offering case management services to young adults being treated for gunshot wounds.
“The goal of this program is to reduce the risk of re-injury of people that have survived a gunshot wound,” said Jefferson County health officer Dr. Mark Wilson during a press conference Wednesday. “The statistics are not good nationally. One study showed that if you follow folks after surviving a gunshot wound, 20% of them will be dead by the end of five years. Over 40% will be re-hospitalized with another violent injury.”
The Offender Alumni Association, a local non-profit that focuses on crime prevention and reentry support, is facilitating the program on the ground.
Team supervisor Carmone Owens said they offer case management services to people and connect them to resources, hoping to address the complex underpinnings of gun violence.
“There’s substance abuse issues. There’s mental health. There’s family engagement. There’s living wage issues. There’s a lot of things that our team comes together to help people put the pieces back together and move forward,” Owens said.
The Jefferson County Department of Health provided a $1.1 million grant to get the program started and has promised long term funding to help sustain the initiative. The city of Birmingham has also committed $2.1 million to support the program during years two and three.
The program is open to patients at UAB Hospital who live in Jefferson County and are between 19-39 years old. Officials said the initiative is already underway, with seven participants so far.
They disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony
Members of the North Fork Community Choir in Paonia, Colo., aim to set aside their opinions on big topics when they sing. When differences arise, they figure out creative solutions to stay in harmony.
A more severe strain of mpox has been detected in the U.S. for the first time
The patient was traveling from East Africa, where the mpox disease is endemic. The CDC says the strain does not present a high risk to the general population.
Is it the flu or is it COVID? One at-home test can tell you
If you've got a fever, cough, aches and pains, and you're wondering, 'what virus got me this time?" Now you can find out, without taking a trip to the doctor.
Philadelphia criticized for how it’s spending millions from opioid lawsuits
Philadelphia has disputed a state ruling that it should not have spent money from opioid-related legal settlements on home repairs and small businesses in an area ravaged by the drug epidemic.
Countries agreed to try to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Is that still possible?
In the 2015 Paris Agreement, most countries agreed to try hard to limit global warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Delay and inaction mean that goal is becoming harder to achieve by the day.
‘You’re doing such a good job’: A stranger tells a mom just what she needs to hear
Emma Carlson Berne was at a restaurant, feeling overwhelmed with her three young children. Then a stranger came over with words she's never forgotten: "What a beautiful family."
