Seven Virginia Hospital Teams Selected to Participate in Grant-Funded, Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program Initiative

January 23, 2020

 HVIP Participants Include Two Bon Secours Richmond Health System Hospitals, VCU Health, Riverside Regional Medical Center, Sentara Careplex, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and Chesapeake Regional Medical Center; Work Occurring at HVIP Participating Facilities to Help Reduce Violence-Based Patient Admissions and Readmissions

RICHMOND, VA – Seven Virginia hospital teams have been selected as participants in a Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) grant-funded initiative aimed at improving public safety and health outcomes for victims of violence in high-need communities. The Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIP) grant, awarded to the VHHA Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA), will be implemented at several hospitals to help expand resources for survivors of serious violence during and after hospitalization. Program participants include two Bon Secours Richmond Health System hospitals, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, Riverside Regional Medical Center, Sentara Careplex, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and VCU Health.

Across the country, the HVIP model has proven to be a successful strategy in reducing community violence and related rehospitalizations. Participating hospitals and their teams will each implement a violence intervention model with the goal of reducing the prevalence and the effects of violent injuries. Virginia’s HVIP collaborative will focus on serving patients who need treatment for gunshot wounds, stabbings, or assault (known as community violence), as well as sexual and domestic violence. The primary patient population to be served through this program are those victims of violence ranging in age from 10-30 who reside on the Hampton Roads Peninsula, in the Richmond region, and in Norfolk and surrounding communities. The program’s goals and objectives include:

• Increasing the number of hospital staff members trained to provide intervention services through the HVIP model.
• Enrolling survivors of violent crime in the collaborative and providing them with access to wraparound community services focused on health care, vocational and recreational programs, conflict resolution, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and housing and transportation assistance.
• Enhancing connections between participating hospitals and community-based agencies which perform complementary work to help support people recovering from violence and their families. Examples of these potential partner organizations include faith-based groups, child or dependent care assistance programs, and transportation assistance programs.
• Achieving a 10 percent decrease in the number of injuries, reinjuries, and instances of mortality relating to gun violence, stabbings, assault, and sexual and domestic violence in the participating hospitals’ service areas following the close of the two-year grant period.

“Virginia hospitals are on the front lines in the work to address emerging and legacy public health challenges in the communities they serve,” said VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “The DCJS grant funding will support important community, sexual, and domestic violence intervention work at Virginia hospitals as they respond to the trauma of violence experienced by patients. This program will support participating hospitals in serving patients impacted by violence beyond their hospitalization and discharge through engagement with community partners and resources. Implementing the HVIP comprehensive care model for complex patients at Virginia hospitals is a critical step in developing sustainable partnerships across the Commonwealth. These partnerships will help improve lives and break the destructive cycle of violence one person at a time.”

Added VHHA Foundation CEO Tracey A. van Marcke: “Our Foundation is grateful for funding that will help break new ground in the field of violence intervention with Virginia serving as the first state to offer a multi-region collaborative approach. While this type of work has traditionally been implemented in a single hospital or community, the broad-based approach to expanding the HVIP footprint in Virginia will strengthen its impact across the Commonwealth. Local partners and national experts will help build a sustainable violence intervention and prevention program to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of Virginians while furthering our mission to improve community health. The HVIP model being established in Virginia will extend its reach into communities by building on the innovation of VCU Health’s Project EMPOWER, which provides intervention and prevention services to survivors of intimate partner, sexual, and domestic violence. Typically, the primary focus of HVIP initiatives is to address community violence by supporting survivors of gunshot wounds, stabbings, and simple assault. In Virginia, the developing HVIP initiative will serve an inclusive patient population so that wraparound services are available to all in need.”

VHHA Foundation is collaborating with experts in the field of violence intervention such as the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) and VCU Health’s Injury and Violence Prevention Program. Both programs have extensive experience in bringing violence prevention best practices and case management services to hospital settings. The HAVI offers a national network of successful programs that can serve as models of inspiration for HVIP work in the Commonwealth. Because of its existing work in this area, VCU Health is uniquely positioned to share invaluable, locally-sourced knowledge and experience with other Virginia hospitals engaged in this initiative.

In May 2019, Virginia Governor Ralph S. Northam announced the award of $2.45 million in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funding to support implementation of the HVIP model at select Virginia hospitals. The grant is part of a funding package approved by the Criminal Justice Services Board of DCJS. The HVIP project is supported by Award No.20-A4739VP18 awarded by the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ Victim Services Grant Program, Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice or its grant-making component.

About VHHA Foundation: The VHHA Foundation, formerly the Virginia Hospital Research & Education Foundation, is the charitable non-profit affiliate of VHHA. Its focus is on improving the health of Virginians through collaboration, research, and education for Virginia’s hospitals and health systems. The foundation provides continuing education programs for Virginia’s health care professionals through conferences, seminars, and webinars. VHHA Foundation also supports research and patient safety and quality programs. Learn more at https://vhhafoundation.org/.

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 27 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health. Its vision is through the power of collaboration to be recognized as a driving force behind making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and ISupportVirginiaHospitals.com

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Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com