Dr. Betz: Care of Suicidal Patients Takes Humans, Not Just Doctors
Oct 22, 2019In 2019, nearly 31,000 people have died due to gun violence. Suicide by firearm represents nearly two-thirds of those deaths. As an emergency physician at CU Anschutz, Emmy Betz, MD, sees multiple patients with suicidal thoughts on every ER shift. “It’s a huge part of my job,” Betz said. “Sometimes I have to stop being a doctor and just be a person, to let people know I’m glad they came in and that tomorrow will be better.”
On this episode of the CU Anschutz 360 podcast, you’ll hear about:
Two key questions to ask someone who is having suicidal thoughts;
The Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition’s gun storage map, which provides temporary, voluntary firearm storage;
What we need to teach kids about mental resilience and being “tough”;
Whether childbirth or giving a Tedx Mile High talk is worse;
How she practices self-care while dealing with an emotionally harrowing career.
Read more and listen to the podcast at CU Anschutz News