Nation’s Experts on Gun Violence Prevention To Meet in Chicago April 16-17

Amid national gun violence epidemic, the country's gun violence experts are meeting to highlight strategies and innovations to help reduce gun violence.The conference will be held April 16-17 in Chicago.

(PRWEB) April 14, 2016

At a time when America’s gun violence epidemic is the talk of the nation, The National Medical Council on Gun Violence (http://www.nmcgv.org) will sponsor a conference featuring the country’s leading authorities on gun violence prevention and treatment — including clinicians, public health researchers, and gun violence prevention advocates. They’ll highlight the latest research and provide strategies to help medical caregivers identify and treat patients at risk for gun violence.

The April 16-17 conference venue is the Student Center, University of Illinois – Chicago, 828 S. Wolcott Ave.

Among other speakers, the program will include a presentation by Charlie Ransford, Director of Science & Policy of Cure Violence. A Chicago-based, internationally recognized leader in the anti-violence movement, Cure Violence is an innovative program used successfully by more than I25 U.S. communities and in England, Iraq, South Africa and Latin America.

Other presenters include Liza Gold, M.D., a foremost authority on firearms and suicide; Harrison Alter, M.D., director of violence research at the Oakland-Alameda Medical Center, Ted Alcorn, Director of Research at Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy organization; and Elspeth Ritchie, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University, whose area of expertise is military and veterans’ issues.    

Review the conference program at http://nmcgv.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/printed-program.pdf.

The National Medical Council on Gun Violence will present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Katherine Christoffel, M.D., MPH and Professor Emerita of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago. Dr. Christoffel conducted pioneering research that helped establish gun violence as a public health concern worthy of funding, research and further study. Representatives of the American Academy of Pediatrics, including Judith Palfrey, MD, former president of the organization, will present the award.

Conference attendees can elect to receive Level 1 continuing education credits. Enrollment and reservations are available at: http://nmcgv.org/conferences/. The cost is $30, including three meals. Conference speakers are available for interviews. For more information, contact Betsy Storm, (312) 421-1510, (312) 401-5222, or betsystorm(at)gmail(dot)com.

The National Medical Council on Gun Violence was established in 2013 to address the medical issues of gun violence and its prevention. The NMCGV addresses the challenging issues of identifying and treating patients at risk for gun violence.