On March 28, 2016, CHOP's Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) co-director Joel Fein, MD, MPH, along with attending physician Ruth M. Abaya, MD, MPH, testified before the Philadelphia City Council’s Committee on Public Safety regarding a resolution authorizing the Committee to hold hearings on the establishment of a comprehensive strategy for reducing and eliminating youth gun violence.

The hearing, initiated by Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, featured speakers from the Philadelphia School District, many medical institutions in Philadelphia, the District Attorney’s office, among many others. 

Dr. Fein's testimony emphasized the public health problem that youth violence has become. He discussed VPI’s public health approach to violence prevention, intervening at multiple touch points in children’s lives, creating and implementing programs in CHOP facilities and throughout our community to prevent school bullying, domestic violence, and peer youth violence.

Dr. Fein and Dr. Abaya also presented research findings collected from CHOP Emergency Department patients about youth gun violence and access to firearms.