For the past six years, the University of Chicago Medicine's Violence Recovery Program (VRP) has provided extensive support services to thousands of patients who suffered violent injuries, most from gun violence.
Now, a growing need for this unique type of patient care has prompted other hospitals to create or expand their trauma programs — and they’re looking to UChicago Medicine for guidance and training.
“Our goal is to have our model duplicated throughout the nation,” said VRP Director Dwayne Johnson. “I truly believe this program is life-changing, and other institutions see that.”
Last month, Johnson and his colleagues hosted a four-day workshop on UChicago Medicine’s Hyde Park campus for a team from OSF Strive, the trauma recovery program at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois.
The training was created and facilitated by UChicago Medicine's lead violence recovery specialist and licensed social worker, Christine Goggins, and it was sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Goggins will oversee all future training sessions as the program’s Training and Technical Assistance Provider.
A shorter training session was previously held for Grady Health System’s Marcus Trauma Center in Atlanta.
“We are honored to have this opportunity,” Goggins said. “Being at the forefront of violence intervention, we can provide a brave space for emerging programs to learn the technique and art of trauma informed care. That includes building community relationships and working with people who have lived experiences.”
To read more, originally published on the UChicago Medicine website, click here.
