UMB to launch new center for violence prevention

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Amid a national conversation about gun violence, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center (Shock Trauma) at the University of Maryland Medical Center are collaborating to create the UMB Center for Violence Prevention, which will draw upon the resources and expertise from both anchor institutions to help reduce and respond to violence in Baltimore and beyond.

The initiative, which kicks off Sept. 6,  seeks to address violence prevention and intervention efforts through a combined effort of Shock Trauma and the University of Maryland schools of medicine and social work and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

Funded by a $2 million gift from Betsy Sherman and the Sherman Family Foundation, the center will bridge numerous research and clinical programs already in place at UMB that address gun violence. With an interdisciplinary approach, the center will collaborate and partner across communities, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, governmental bodies, corporations and philanthropic organizations to advocate for informed policies and interventions toward violence prevention and creating social justice for all.

This is achieved through collaborations and community-based partnerships to conduct research, develop creative and impactful education, and advocate for polices that strengthen our communities to prevent violence and trauma.

The center will be led by Thomas M. Scalea, MD, the Hon. Francis X. Kelly Distinguished Professor of Trauma Surgery, director of the Program in Trauma at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Physician-in-Chief at Shock Trauma and the System Chief of Critical Care Services, University of Maryland Medical System.

Scalea has led Shock Trauma, which delivers more trauma care than any other institution in the U.S., for 25 years. He championed the concept of the “golden hour” that has defined modern trauma care and is globally recognized as a pioneer in trauma-related care. He also leads the School of Medicine’s Program in Trauma, which has pioneered major advances in trauma care through basic and clinical research and by providing educational experiences for medical students, residents and fellows, as well as for nurses and other health care providers.