Preventing Firearm Injury in the Greater Houston Area Through Purpose and Policy

Firearm injury has become the No. 1 public health crisis in the United States. In recent decades, experts, legislators and advocacy groups have proposed a number of strategies to reduce firearm injuries, including safe storage, technological enhancements in firearms and ammunition, point of sale tactics, and improved education and communication. Despite these efforts, firearm injury recently became the country’s leading cause of death among children and teenagers.

This conference brought together health care workers, public health researchers, injury prevention specialists, law enforcement and local legislators to explore the current landscape of firearm injury in the greater Houston area and the impacts of prevention policies and programs. Participants engaged in a nonpartisan and comprehensive conversation on the threat posed by firearm injury, the influence of policy on firearm injuries and deaths, local community interventions, research on reduction and prevention, and recommendations to curb the epidemic.

Held on June 2 in commemoration of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the conference was intended to engage stakeholders in plotting a course of action through education, community intervention and policy. Findings and recommendations will be disseminated in a future report.

This event was sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences as part of its Firearm Injury Prevention and Safety Initiative. Sponsorship support is provided by Memorial Hermann, UTMB Center for Violence Prevention, UTHealth Houston and Baylor College of Medicine.

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Agenda

8:00 am	Introduction Rola El-Serag, M.D. L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health Policy and Director, Center for Health and Biosciences, Baker Institute
8:15 am	Keynote Presentation Rochelle Dicker, M.D. Advisory Board Chair, Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI); Vice Chair for Critical Care, Chief of Surgical Critical Care, Associate Chief of Trauma and Emergency General Surgery, and Associate Chief of Trauma and Emergency General Surgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
9:00 am	Panel I — Community Gun Violence Moderated by: Bindi Naik-Mathuria, M.D., MPH, FACS, FAAP, Nonresident Fellow in Firearm Injury Prevention and Safety, Baker Institute; Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch Shiree Berry, M.D., FACS Vice Chair, Department of Surgery, HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest; Regional Trauma Medical Director, Extant Healthcare Rochelle Dicker, M.D. Advisory Board Chair, Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI); Vice Chair for Critical Care, Chief of Surgical Critical Care, Associate Chief of Trauma and Emergency General Surgery, and Associate Chief of Trauma and Emergency General Surgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Abbie Kamin Council Member, District C, City of Houston Crystal Okafor Deputy Inspector General, One Safe Houston, City of Houston Larry Satterwhite Executive Assistant Police Chief, Houston Police Department
9:50 am	Break
10:10 am	Panel II — Domestic Violence Moderated by: Chad T. Wilson, M.D., MPH, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine Christy Graves Director of Operations and Emergency Medical Services Chief, Harris County Emergency Services District 5 Amy Smith Senior Director of Operations and Communications, Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council Aimee Turney Gun Safety Issue Chair, League of Women Voters of Texas Leila Wood, Ph.D., MSSW Professor, Center for Violence Prevention, School of Nursing, The University of Texas Medical Branch
11:00 am	Panel III — Unintentional Injury Moderated by: Catherine Seger, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine Sarah Beth Abbott, BS, CPhT, EMT-LP Injury Prevention and Outreach Education Coordinator, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital Nicole Golden, MSSW Executive Director, Texas Gun Sense The Honorable Kim Ogg Harris County District Attorney Irma Ugalde, M.D. Associate Professor, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research, UTHealth Houston
11:50 am	Lunch
12:15 pm	Keynote Presentation: School Behavioral Threat Assessments Shawna White, Ph.D. Senior Lead in School Safety, Justice and Prevention Research Center, WestEd
12:55 pm	Panel IV — School Violence Moderated by: Sandra McKay, M.D., FAAP, Huffington Fellow in Child Health Policy, Baker Institute Kenneth Brantley Principal, Wisdom High School, Houston Independent School District (HISD) Jaime Freeny, Ph.D, MPH Director, Center for School Behavioral Health, Mental Health America of Greater Houston Geovanny J. Ponce, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent of High Schools, HISD Shawna White, Ph.D. Senior Lead in School Safety, Justice and Prevention Research Center, WestEd
1:45 pm	Panel V — Suicide Prevention Moderated by: Zoabe Hafeez, M.D., Nonresident Fellow, Baker Institute; Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hospital Medicine, UTHealth Houston Taiwo Babatope, M.D., MPH Fellowship Training Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Provider, Child Psychiatry Access Network, UTHealth Houston Cedric Dark, M.D., MPH, FACEP Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine Ned Levine, Ph.D. Nonresident Fellow, Baker Institute; Director, Ned Levine and Associates Dave Lewis Director, Harris County Veteran Services Department Laura Marsh, M.D. Professor, Menninger Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine; Executive Director, Mental Health Care Line, Veterans Affairs Medical Center
2:35 pm	Break
3:00 pm	Panel VI — Policy Action Moderated by: Sandra McKay, M.D., FAAP, Huffington Fellow in Child Health Policy, Baker Institute The Honorable Vikki Goodwin Texas State Representative, 47th District The Honorable Ann Johnson Texas State Representative, 134th District The Honorable Jarvis Johnson Texas State Representative, 139th District

Sponsorship Opportunities

Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy provides meaningful policy analysis on the most critical challenges facing Texas, the U.S. and the world. Founded in 1993, the institute is ranked the No. 1 university-affiliated think tank in the world and the No. 1 energy think tank in the world. Learn more about the institute here.

The Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences is seeking conference sponsors from individual and organizations interested in public health and firearm injury prevention. Sponsorship levels and benefits are available below.

Platinum Supporter — $25,000 (FMV $350)

Verbal acknowledgement at conference opening and conclusion.
Company logo on acknowledgement slide deck.
Company logo on program.
A one-hour meeting with a Baker Institute expert.
Complimentary parking at conference for 10 attendees.
Baker Roundtable Delegate memberships for a total of 8 (value $4,000).

Gold Supporter — $15,000 (FMV $300)

Verbal acknowledgement at conference opening and conclusion.
Company name on acknowledgement slide deck.
Company name on program.
Complimentary parking at conference for 8 attendees.
Baker Roundtable Delegate memberships for a total of 5 (value $2,500).

Silver Supporter — $10,000 (FMV $250)

Verbal acknowledgement at conference opening and conclusion.
Company name on acknowledgement slide deck.
Company name on program.
Complimentary parking at conference for 5 attendees.
Baker Roundtable Delegate memberships for a total of 2 (value $1,000).

Bronze Supporter — $5,000 (FMV $100)

Verbal acknowledgement at conference opening and conclusion.
Company name on acknowledgement slide deck during symposium.
Company name on program.
Complimentary parking at conference for 2 attendees.

Baker Roundtable Delegate memberships include:

Invitations to Baker Briefings, member-exclusive events designed to provide expert analysis on urgent and ongoing policy issues.
Invitations to the annual member-exclusive Fall Reception with Baker Institute experts.
Subscription to the Baker Institute newsletter.
The opportunity to become a Roundtable Representative, an individual who represents their membership level as part of the Baker Roundtable Membership Committee (after one year of Baker Roundtable membership).

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
Leah Gross, Director of Development
Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892
713-348-2977 (direct)
leah.gross@rice.edu