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Pennsylvania Injury Reporting and Intervention System
Philadelphia, PA - The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with The Firearm & Injury Center at Penn (FICAP), the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and other local partners, will implement the State’s new hospital-based, injury surveillance and intervention system to aid in violence prevention strategies. The Pennsylvania Injury Reporting and Intervention System (PIRIS), a new and unique initiative by Pennsylvania’s Department of Health, will collect information on gunshot wound injuries, which will be used by state and local agencies and community partnerships to target activities, develop new programs, and evaluate current violence reduction efforts.
PIRIS data will be collected for youth 15-24 with interpersonal or self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The ability to track the incidence and characteristics of violence can serve as the basis to develop violence prevention strategies and for reducing the impact and repercussions of violence on youth, families and communities.
“This system is built on a public health model, which is a science-based approach,” said Rose Cheney, PhD and Executive Director of FICAP. “The public health model has proven in the past to be successful in reducing rates of motor vehicle accidents and incidents of infectious diseases.”
Another unique aspect of PIRIS will be the development of a multi-system intervention for the victim and their families. This intervention is designed to address the significant impact these injuries can have, prevent and reduce future violent crime, and reduce the risk of recurring violence, whether through re-injury or retaliation. |
