CINCINNATI — Shootings happening in big cities across Ohio has doctors taking action. They’re starting a new program in Cincinnati aimed at decreasing the number of victims.

Dr. Amy Makley knows the toll shootings can take on families. She’s seen it firsthand.

“Gun violence really is an epidemic, and it’s not just physical injuries,” said Makley.

She’s the trauma medical director at UC Health in Cincinnati, and she said there’s one thing many of the shooting victims have in common.

“The bulk of those patients are all typical healthy young adults, teenagers, pretty much young patients that are being injured by gun violence,” said Makley. 

That’s why she’s leading an effort and teamed up with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to do something about it.

“Typically we’ve done a good job of medical and surgical care but what we haven’t done a very good job of is making sure that the patients have everything that they need to do to either get out of a scenario in the community where they’re surrounded by violence or to address the important mental health needs of patients,” said Makley.

She said that’s going to take programs and resources that go beyond the hospital operating room. They just got a $600,000 city grant to do it.

“Something maybe as simple as alternative housing or access to food or employment or education, all of those things are important when we talk about the care of our patients,” said Makley.

She said the goal decrease the high amount of shooting victims before the year is over.

“Hopefully trying to launch this program as early as this summer, we do tend to see a higher number of victims coming through our doors during our summer months and we really wanna be aggressive and try to meet our patients when we know injuries are higher,” said Makley.