Durham Reporter

The Duke Orthopaedic Trauma Section has joined forces with the City of Durham to launch the Durham Impact Project, a new initiative aimed at preventing gun violence. The program will collaborate with local barbershops to create focus groups that connect vulnerable community members with existing resources.

The project aims to engage the community through events addressing preventive health topics and needs such as food insecurity. Additionally, it plans to partner with Duke University Hospital's Violence Recovery Program, which supports gun violence victims.

Program lead Malcolm DeBaun, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, expressed hope that building community trust would help reduce violence. "As orthopaedic trauma surgeons, we are commonly the people at the end of an incident trying to help the patient recover from bone fractures after gun violence," he said.

DeBaun noted a pattern of young males and teenagers becoming victims of gun violence in clusters over weekends. He stated, "We want to be part of the solution, starting with leveraging existing resources within Duke Health and the Durham community."

Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams highlighted this initiative as a pioneering effort in cross-sector collaboration. "This is a first-of-its-kind effort to develop a cross-sector collaboration to address gun violence as a public health issue and improve social drivers of health in our most vulnerable communities," Williams said.

Preventing violence could not only enhance health and well-being but also save an estimated $1.2 million annually in state costs related to hospitalizations from gun violence, according to DeBaun.

Local barber and community organizer Len Lilly expressed enthusiasm for partnering with the program. He emphasized creating an environment in barbershops where youth can express themselves and connect with role models who encourage healthier choices. "People come and talk in barber shops," Lilly explained. "It’s a networking system."

The program received seed funding from Johnson & Johnson MedTech.