Author: Eileen Barrett, MD, MPH, MACP, SFHM, FAMWA

There are no women in America who are spared from the toll that firearms violence has had on our daily lives, even if not knowing someone personally affected by such violence – because there is moral distress from seeing how lives are ended or disrupted by our lack of common-sense gun laws. Within this context and how politicized the public health crisis of violence is, it is easy to feel that affecting change and minimizing harm can be impossible. But there are steps we can take and skills we can learn to begin to reclaim our agency. For over a year, AMWA has added to its already robust educational and advocacy offerings, educating physicians and trainees about mitigating risks for firearms violence by partnering with the Violence Prevention ECHO to train interprofessional colleagues on evidence-informed strategies to counter drivers of violence in their clinical setting and communities. I hope you join and can spread the word. The Violence Prevention ECHO is a national telementoring educational program that meets weekly for one hour for a total of 8 sessions. Participation is free, and you can join for the sessions that work for your schedule in real-time, or view recordings afterwards. Topics are varied and include content ranging from human trafficking, intimate partner violence, substance use disorders, managing emotions, talking with gun owners about safer ownership practices, safe storage, and suicide prevention. Sessions are also interactive, with faculty participating in Q&A and references and resources being shared by a medical librarian. It is presently in its second series, and an additional 8-week series that is responsive to post-session evaluations is expected. Everyone deserves to be invested in on how to build bridges across our political and ideological divides, to help us correct misperceptions, and on how to be change agents. Join the Violence Prevention ECHO today. I am honored to be faculty for this educational series, but it’s even more important to me that I am grateful that it exists – so that we can learn together to act on our values of caring for each other.

https://iecho.org/public/program/PRGM169403777489726XA6LZX0H