Two Cincinnati hospitals are joining with the city in a new anti-violence initiative. UC Health and Cincinnati Children's will work with victims of violence far beyond physical treatment.
Dr. Meera Kotagal with Children's says it will start with the hiring of two or three violence prevention professionals to work with those victims.
"This will allow us to have a longer-term relationship over months where we can work with families and individuals on what they might need in order to move forward and help link them to resources that exist in our communities in order to provide them the best possible support and the opportunity to thrive afterwards," she explains.
The initiative will focus on victims of gun violence up to age 44, but will expand to other victims.
UC Health's Dr. Amy Makley says as many as 45% of gunshot victims get hurt again in the future. "And victims of gun violence — including here in Cincinnati — experience high rates of mental health disease and post traumatic stress disorder that extend years beyond the initial injuries, indicating enduring psychological trauma that occurs after each episode of gun violence," she says.
RELATED: Downtown is 'extremely safe' despite recent violent assaults, Cincinnati Police chief says
Makley says the initiative aims to break that cycle of violence.
Community activist and Collaborative Agreement coordinator Iris Roley is on board.
"We've been on the front line collectively, together for the past 20-something years, and every year it gets worse," Roley says. "I think the city has done an exceptional job learning those lessons, listening to the community around equity, transparency and accountability in policing because we cannot just police our way out of this."
The program is funded by a $600,000 grant the city announced last year.
Cincinnati is also hiring a violence reduction manager. DeAngelo Rosa Harris will coordinate between the hospitals, police, city staff, and other organizations.
