WILMINGTON — Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center received state funds Wednesday to expand its hospital-based violence prevention services.
The North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission allocated $750,000 in funding to intervention programs in North Carolina; Novant NHRMC received $500,000 of that.
“We’re grateful to the state for seeing the value in the important work we were already doing locally and providing the resources for us to expand this program, which launched last year,” a Novant spokesperson said.
Officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, NC Governor Crime’s Commission and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services visited the Wilmington hospital Wednesday to learn about its program. Stakeholders took part in a roundtable discussion about state and community strategies to reducing violence.
Novant NHRMC launched its violence intervention program last fall, with financial backing from Novant’s Health Foundation. Tammie Jones-Hall is the only violence intervention specialist assigned to the position and had worked with more than 100 people as of August.
Jones-Hall connects with trauma victims injured by gun or stabbing attacks and checks in on them even after patients are discharged. Her job is to connect people to needed community services, ensure they go to their follow-ups, and helps with documentation needed for wage and medical bill reimbursement.
Her job is to also follow up with patients and connect them with organizations such as Coastal Horizons for crisis intervention and mental health advocacy.
The hospital program works closely with New Hanover County’s Port City United department, created in April 2022. PCU uses the Cure Violence Global model to provide mediation and mentorship in New Hanover County Schools and in the community.
With the funding from the state, Novant plans to expand its violence prevention program, including launching it in Charlotte.
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