On Christmas Day, a young man named Marcus* was transported to the emergency room after being physically assaulted. He underwent surgery and recovered. After being discharged, Marcus returned home, where he was shot and killed, allegedly by the same person who assaulted him on Christmas.
Such violent encounters happen regularly across the United States, with 96 Americans dying by firearms on an average day. In Chicago, there were 561 homicides and more than 24,000 violent crimes in 2018.
A vision to address the epidemic of violence
Leveraging its unique position as a prominent academic medical center, the University of Chicago Medicine aims to not only provide access to specialized trauma care, but to promote holistic recovery and advance a rigorous research agenda that deepens our understanding of traumatic injury and violence. The ultimate goal? Create a model that can be replicated by other trauma centers across the country.
