Source: PHOTO: WISH-TV
INDIANAPOLIS — A lack of trust in the healthcare system seems to be playing in a role in the number of violent crimes that happen in Indianapolis.
That’s the assessment of a trauma surgeon at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis. Dr. Damaris Ortiz has been all over the country perfecting her craft as a trauma doctor and says that she did not expect Indianapolis to have the level of violence it has had in her time here.
“I trained at a very high volume trauma center on the south side of Chicago, a busy Level 1 trauma center in Houston, and now I’m here,” Ortiz said to WISH-TV. “It’s a lot busier than I expected it to be.”
Now she is trying to do something to help cut down the amount of violent crime that happens in Indianapolis. She has taken control of the hospital’s Prescription for Hope program, which aims to help build trust among healthcare providers and people who come to the hospital for treatment.
People who come with gunshot wounds, stab wounds, or any other violent injury have the opportunity to link up with resources to help break the “cycle of violence” as she puts it.
“We found that the people who went through the program had about a 50% decrease risk of coming back in two years to any hospital with a violent injury,” said Ortiz.
The program’s counselors try to listen to patients more to help guide interventions.
“There were a few barriers that were identified,” she added. “Lack of trust of the health care system provider, and they generally prefer utilizing their established social circle, their family and friends.”
Ortiz said simply putting more money towards bolstering mental health is not going to be enough to solve the problem of violent crime in Indianapolis unless the counseling people are receiving is effective. She says a way to do that is by investing in telehealth services to make things more convenient for patients.
The Prescription for Hope program is only available through Eskenazi Health, but it does take referrals from other hospitals.
