District 18 City Council Member Amanda Farías presented a check of $25,000 to support Jacobi’s Stand Up to Violence (SUV) program in early February. The SUV program is the first hospital-run, cure violence-based program in the nation. During a February press conference held to announce the funding, Jacobi’s SUV unit reported it had seen a 59 percent decrease in the likelihood of violent re-injury in SUV patients, and also a 59 percent decrease in gunshot wound victims within the borders of the precincts which the SUV unit serves.

 

Hospital officials said the council member committed funds to assist with what was described as a critical program in addressing what they referred to as a gun violence public health crisis. Jacobi’s SUV program began in 2014, and operates within the 49th, 47th, and 43rd precincts in The Bronx. The 43rd precinct is located in Farías’ own City Council District 18.

 

During a press conference held at Jacobi Medical Center about the funding, Farías said, “This program is the success that it is because of how ingrained our SUV leaders are in the communities they service. As the council member who represents the 43rd [Precinct], I am grateful for your work and honored to have a partner like you in our backyard.”

 

As reported in 2021, Congress approved nine out of ten funding requests for community projects put forward by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), who represents parts of The Bronx and Queens. One of these included major funding for Jacobi’s cure violence program. Various federal funding requests for the 2022 fiscal year also included additional funding for Jacobi’s cure violence initiative which the congresswoman, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had highlighted as a priority.

 

Farias said, “Gun violence is not caused by a singular issue, nor will it be solved with a singular solution. In communities like ours, in Soundview, Castle Hill, Clason Point and more, gun violence is something we hear about and deal with more than any of us would like to. But the work that SUV is doing makes a difference and I know that together we will continue to bring down the rates of gun violence in our communities, especially for our young people. [U.S.] Sen. Chuck Schumer was right here in 2021 talking about SUV, and he said, ‘This program works but it needs some money.’ Well, I am thrilled to answer that call and invest in the SUV program today.”

 

The news was also welcomed by Dr. Noe Romo, a pediatrician who serves as SUV’s medical director. “Thank you, Councilwoman, for your support,” he said. “We are the only true level one pediatric and adult trauma center in The Bronx and we respond to the majority of the trauma patients here in The Bronx.”

 

He continued, “The patients that are seen by our team have a 59% decreased chance of coming back reinjured within 3 months of being discharged and are two times more likely to come back for their outpatient scheduled follow ups. That is critical as in terms of how we are able to reduce morbidity and mortality in the patients that we have seen.”

Kwame Thompson is an outreach supervisor for SUV and also thanked the council member for what he described as her partnership and support and for believing in the work that his group carries out. Thompson said, “Here at SUV, our job is to work to reduce the gun violence in the community by mediations and working with the highest risk individuals that are most likely to shoot someone or be shot.”

 

He continued, “With partnerships like this we are able to have close to 15 outreach workers, 3 supervisors, hospital responders to go forward with this work to reduce gun violence in our community.” He continued, “We are seeing these participants become more active in reaching out to our credible messengers instead of picking up a gun, now they are picking up a phone asking for help.”

 

Locally, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.) continues its cure violence work in the West Bronx, as reported.

 

Meanwhile, John Doyle, associate director of public relations at Jacobi Medical Center, said he was present at the press conference on behalf of CEO, Christopher Mastromano, who was unable to attend. “I want to thank the council member for her support of this program,” Doyle said. He continued, “Something that always stuck out to me was a medical study that was done that said if you were brought into the ER with an intentionally inflicted traumatic injury there is a 1 in 5 chance that you will be dead within 5 years.”

 

Doyle said it was the work that his colleagues carried out every day in the streets [that makes all the difference]. “They are credible messengers who can show people a different side of life and show people there is a need to put down the guns and the knives and everything else.”