This Researcher Is Changing How Rural Gunshot Victims Access Care

Lovelady established Arkansas’s first hospital-based violence intervention program, Project Heal, one of the first of its kind in the country to be housed in an urban center but extend its services to rural communities throughout the state. Some of the initial funding for Project Heal came from the American Rescue Plan Act, which was part of a federal stimulus package to help states and localities recover from the pandemic and its economic impacts. Additional funding came from the university and the Arkansas Center for Health Disparities, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIP) like Project Heal are a form of community violence intervention that provides holistic, rehabilitative treatment to patients suffering from gunshot wounds while mitigating reinjury or potential retaliation. The medical staff connects shooting victims to violence intervention specialists from their communities, who provide emotional support to address trauma and help them navigate available resources as they adjust back to daily life.

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