Preventing firearm-related injury and death will be the topic of a June 21 event from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Firearm-related injuries and deaths are on the rise, with a growing number of adolescents experiencing mental health issues and surges in homicides, unintentional shootings and school-based violence. The symposium will feature experts and advocates highlighting local research efforts in firearm injury prevention, public health-based community interventions and other innovative strategies to address violence in the Greater Houston area and beyond. It will conclude with a bipartisan panel discussion with local leaders.
This event is co-sponsored by the Baker Institute's Center for Health and Biosciences, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). Additional support is provided by the University of Texas Medical Branch's (UTMB) Center for Violence Prevention.
What: Baker Institute event, "Preventing Firearm Injury in the Greater Houston Area through Purpose and Policy."
When: Tuesday, June 21, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Where: James A. Baker III Hall, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, 6100 Main St., Houston.
The event is free, but registration is required. Register here to attend in person, or register here to attend virtually via Zoom.
Agenda
Panel 1 - Overview of the Current State of Firearm Violence
- Binidi Naik-Mathuria, fellow in firearm injury prevention and safety, Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences; and Ned Levine, urban information and policy evaluation specialist, Ned Levine and Associates. Rola El-Serag, L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health Policy and director of the Center for Health and Biosciences, will provide welcome remarks.
Panel 2 - Firearm Injury: Unintentional Shootings
- Sandra McKay, nonresident fellow in firearm injury prevention and safety, Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences; Zoabe Hafeez, assistant professor of pediatric hospital medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth; and Leesa Ross, gun safety advocate, Lock Arms for Life. Mary Aitken, professor and chair of the department of pediatrics, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, will moderate.
Panel 3 - Firearm Injury: Suicides
- Gala True, adjunct professor of medicine, Tulane University; and Laurel Williams, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, BCM. Lilian Dindo, associate professor, BCM, will moderate.
Panel 4 - Firearm Injury: School-Based Violence
- Jeff Temple, John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Community Health, UTMB; and Shannon Guillot-Wright, vice chair of research and health policy, department of family medicine, UTMB. Lillian Kao, professor and division director, division of acute care surgery, UTHealth, will moderate.
Panel 5 - Firearm Injury: Interpersonal Violence/Assault
- Troy Finner, chief, Houston Police Department; Catherine Seger, assistant professor of surgery, division of trauma and acute care surgery, BCM; and Debra Mendoza, program coordinator, DallasCRED. Chad Wilson, associate professor of surgery, division of trauma and acute care surgery, BCM, will moderate.
Panel 6 - Review of Houston Community Interventions
- Lupe Washington, division director, community health and violence prevention services, Harris County Public Health; Karlton Harris, founder and CEO, Re-entry Consultants of America LLC; Letosha Selexman, director, City of Houston Community Reentry Network Program; Crystal Okorafor, deputy inspector general, office of policing reform and accountability, City of Houston; and Victor Gonzalez, division manager, mayor's office of gang prevention and intervention, City of Houston.
Panel 7 - Overview of Firearm Injury Prevention Policies
- McKay and Naik-Mathuria.
Panel 8 - Policy Action and Community Intervention Opportunities
- Kim Ogg, Harris County District Attorney; state Rep. Ann Johnson, Texas District 134; state Sen. John Whitmire, Texas District 15; and Finner. McKay will moderate.
