From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients

Violence is a growing public health issue that disproportionately affects low-income and racialized communities across North America. While trauma centers appropriately respond to acute violent injuries, many patients are discharged back into the same environments that put them at risk. Hospital-bas...

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Main Authors: Khadija Brouillette, Joseph Gebru, Armaan K Malhotra, Tyler McKechnie, Husain Shakil, Joseph Tropiano, Adom Bondzi-Simpson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251356386
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author Khadija Brouillette
Joseph Gebru
Armaan K Malhotra
Tyler McKechnie
Husain Shakil
Joseph Tropiano
Adom Bondzi-Simpson
author_facet Khadija Brouillette
Joseph Gebru
Armaan K Malhotra
Tyler McKechnie
Husain Shakil
Joseph Tropiano
Adom Bondzi-Simpson
author_sort Khadija Brouillette
collection DOAJ
description Violence is a growing public health issue that disproportionately affects low-income and racialized communities across North America. While trauma centers appropriately respond to acute violent injuries, many patients are discharged back into the same environments that put them at risk. Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) offer opportunities for trauma care to address the upstream root causes of violence. These programs engage patients during critical “teachable moments,” connecting them to staff with lived experience, along with social workers and community partners, providing personalized support such as mental health care, education, employment, and housing services. In Canada, several initiatives in Toronto and Winnipeg are examples of HVIPs assisting with reduction of repeat injury by intervening on root causes. The early results show reductions in re-injury, improved engagement in school, lower justice system involvement, and potential healthcare cost savings. This commentary explores Canadian HVIPs as a model for addressing health disparities linked to violence and considers how similar approaches can be adapted in other healthcare settings to better serve communities.
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spelling doaj-art-3cb9e4970fce40328e1aa65cdbd4678a2025-08-20T04:02:28ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272025-07-011610.1177/21501319251356386From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury PatientsKhadija Brouillette0Joseph Gebru1Armaan K Malhotra2Tyler McKechnie3Husain Shakil4Joseph Tropiano5Adom Bondzi-Simpson6McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaBrock University, St. Catharines, ON, CanadaUniversity of Toronto, ON, CanadaMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaUniversity of Toronto, ON, CanadaUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaUniversity of Toronto, ON, CanadaViolence is a growing public health issue that disproportionately affects low-income and racialized communities across North America. While trauma centers appropriately respond to acute violent injuries, many patients are discharged back into the same environments that put them at risk. Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) offer opportunities for trauma care to address the upstream root causes of violence. These programs engage patients during critical “teachable moments,” connecting them to staff with lived experience, along with social workers and community partners, providing personalized support such as mental health care, education, employment, and housing services. In Canada, several initiatives in Toronto and Winnipeg are examples of HVIPs assisting with reduction of repeat injury by intervening on root causes. The early results show reductions in re-injury, improved engagement in school, lower justice system involvement, and potential healthcare cost savings. This commentary explores Canadian HVIPs as a model for addressing health disparities linked to violence and considers how similar approaches can be adapted in other healthcare settings to better serve communities.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251356386
spellingShingle Khadija Brouillette
Joseph Gebru
Armaan K Malhotra
Tyler McKechnie
Husain Shakil
Joseph Tropiano
Adom Bondzi-Simpson
From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients
Journal of Primary Care & Community Health
title From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients
title_full From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients
title_fullStr From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients
title_full_unstemmed From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients
title_short From Tragedy To Opportunity: Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs May Address Root-Cause Health Disparities for Violent Traumatic Injury Patients
title_sort from tragedy to opportunity hospital based violence intervention programs may address root cause health disparities for violent traumatic injury patients
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251356386
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