Dear Doctors,
As the New Year approaches we want to say thanks for supporting our work in 2019 for a safer Michigan.
Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence (PPGV) continues to grow. We are now well over 700 members. We are gaining voice with our public health approach to gun violence prevention (gvp). This voice is developing just in time as the toll of deaths and injuries is mounting- now passing automobiles.
PPGV has given grand rounds at many Michigan medical schools and primary care residencies. (We will visit your program if invited.) At these presentations we have gained both members and voice. With Governor Whitmer’s veto power we have not had to advocate in Lansing for GVP as often as the Republican legislature has not forwarded risky laws as in the past. And nationally, after years of prohibition there now is some money being appropriated to study gun violence.https://www.thetrace.org/2019/12/congress-gun-violence-research-budget-agreement-cdc-nih/
We are developing a GVP curriculum. Ours is modest, but in California the legislature just awarded over $3 million to UC Davis to develop curriculum there for their physicians. That’s exciting! https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article236257503.html?utm_source
The public health approach to gvp has many facets. Read or listen to David Hemenway, the director of Harvard’s Injury Control Research Center, speak on this recently. Hemenway asserts that everyone has a role to play to stop the shootings- from manufacturers to police to pawn shops to gun owners to docs and more-everyone!https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2019/podcast/david-hemenway
The public is on board, the kids in many areas are energized, moms are demanding action, docs are in “our lane” uninhibited by the NRA and hope is on the ascent that we may start to reduce the burden of suffering from gun violence. Thanks for your work and support in 2019 and Happy New Year!
Jerry for PPGV
PPGVPhysicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence