Emmy Betz is the director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative at the CU School of Medicine and has been working to spread awareness on the front lines. During the discussion, the goal was to keep politics out of the equation and get people to look at the problem differently. ...Read More

On February 4, 2025, over 100 community members, healthcare, and academic professionals gathered at CU Anschutz Medical Campus for the REACH Clinic Community-Academic Forum: Healing from Community-Based Violence. Co-hosted by Denver Youth Program, the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, the Injury and Violence Prevention Center, and the Trailhead Institute Office of Firearm-related Harm and Violence Prevention, the event provided a space for cross-sector dialogue on supporting individuals and families impacted by community-based violence. ...Read More

The Injury and Violence Prevention Center (IVPC), a collaborative team of experts from the School of Medicine and the Colorado School of Public Health, has leveraged federal funding into community-wide benefits. This initiative follows U.S. Representative Jason Crow’s visit to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, where he announced Community Project Funding for two key initiatives at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Building on this momentum, the center has distributed funding to boost local violence prevention efforts and nurture local community collaborations. ...Read More

Professionals working in child protective services often describe their work as “reactive.” But a new first-of-its-kind partnership between the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI) and the Arapahoe County Child and Family Services division aims to help change that. ...Read More

Close to 40 percent of households in the United States with older adults have at least one firearm on the premises. Handling a gun safely requires good vision, eye-hand coordination, motor skills, strength and balance. Age or medical conditions can affect any of those, says Emmy Betz, M.D., MPH, the founding director of Firearms Injury Prevention Initiative and a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. ...Read More

Emmy Betz directs the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and wonders if the tax will change consumer behavior. “The question is whether that will change gun sales or not,” she said. ...Read More

Researchers associated with the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI)  at the CU School of Medicine gave more than two dozen presentations and sponsored the 2024 National Research Conference for Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms, hosted Dec. 9-11 in Seattle. ...Read More

"ERPOs are sort of a tool in a toolkit of violence reduction strategies that law enforcement have available to them," said Leslie Barnard, DrPH, MPH, a research assistant professor at the Colorado School of Public Health and affiliate of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative.  ...Read More

A new survey of the U.S. Air Force mental health workforce, including mental health providers (MHPs) and behavioral health technicians (BHTs), finds that although most providers and technicians integrate lethal means safety counseling (LMSC) into clinical care, there are gaps in knowledge and confidence and most providers and technicians report a desire for more training. ...Read More

The Injury and Violence Prevention Center (IVPC) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus recently partnered with the East Colfax Community Collective to support evaluation of its Security Ambassador Pilot Project. This community-driven initiative aims to improve safety in the East Colfax neighborhoods, such as domestic violence, property crimes, assaults, robberies, and sexual violence. ...Read More

A crucial part of addressing the crisis of suicide by firearm among military service members is creating a space for military and civilian stakeholders to have open dialogue and work together on impactful solutions. ...Read More

Four new faculty members have been recruited to the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Colorado School of Public Health to focus on firearm injury prevention with the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI), underscoring the program’s value and success in investigating and preventing firearm-related violence and their commitment to making the CU Anschutz Medical Campus a continued national leader in firearm injury prevention research. ...Read More

Investigators and faculty members from across the University of Colorado School of Medicine presented critical research informing health care and safety for military service members and earned notable accolades at this year’s Military Health Science Research Symposium (MHSRS). ...Read More

Researchers from the Injury & Violence Prevention Center and the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are conducting a critical analysis of Colorado's Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs). These "red flag" laws, which allow the temporary removal of firearms from individuals considered a threat to themselves or others, have been in effect since 2020. ...Read More

Community organizations across the Denver metro area having been working for decades to prevent community violence and provide support to injured victims. Aligned to their focus and commitment to collaboration, the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI) partners with these organizations to integrate the latest research and education on community violence prevention with goal of amplifying their impact. ...Read More

Military-connected youth that show elevated risk for suicidal ideation and suicide plans exhibit lower rates of gun-carrying, according to new research from emergency medicine faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, founding director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and professor of emergency medicine, was quoted in this Boston Globe article on firearm injury and dementia. ...Read More

Christopher Knoepke, PhD, MSW, LCSW, law enforcement lead for the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was quoted in an article from The Guardian on the Colorado Springs Club Q shooting. ...Read More

The CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative was mentioned in an article from Face the Fight on impact of veteran suicide prevention. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, was interviewed by PBS regarding the announcement from the U.S. surgeon general, declaring gun violence as a public health crisis. ...Read More

Christopher Knoepke PhD, MSW, LCSW, law enforcement lead for the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed by CPR on "red flag laws." ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and founding director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was quoted on the new report findings. ...Read More

A primary focus of the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI) is to work closely with communities, including firearm owners, to prevent firearm injuries and deaths. Research shows that firearm owners often trust law enforcement, military personnel, and firearm retailers to share messaging on responsible firearm ownership and injury prevention compared to physicians or medical professionals. These findings have led FIPI to take new approaches for partnership and education on secure firearm storage. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was quoted in a U.S. Army article based on her webinar, Securing Hope: Strategies for Lethal Means Safety. ...Read More

Last April, the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI) launched with a $4.5 million investment from the CU School of Medicine to work toward preventing firearm-related injuries and deaths in homes and communities across Colorado and the U.S. through collaboration, research, and education. ...Read More

Benjamin Li, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine and emergency medicine physician with Denver Health, spoke with FOX31 about the importance of safe firearm storage. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed by The Atlantic regarding physicians asking patients about access to firearms and counseling them toward responsible storage. ...Read More

Chris Knoepke, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and law enforcement lead for the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was first author on a recent study published by JAMA Network Open. He is leading research on ERPO usage, especially in Colorado's Second Amendment Sanctuaries. ...Read More

A team of researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and collaborators published a study in JAMA Network Open today on the impact of Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) in Colorado’s “Second Amendment Sanctuaries.” ...Read More

CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative Director Emmy Betz MD MPH, professor of emergency medicine, was a guest on on NPR's "The Middle with Jeremy Hobson" radio show. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed by CPR News about the new CDPHE dashboard. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed for WAMU's 1a program.  ...Read More

University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative researchers Ginny McCarthy, MPH, MDiv, and Erin Wright Kelly, DrPH, MA, attended the Hand In Hand Multicultural Center gun violence forum this past weekend in Springfield, Missouri. Ginny and Erin were interviewed for KY3 News. ...Read More

REMOTE (FEB 22):   The Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has partnered with the Injury and Violence Prevention Center in the Colorado School of Public Health to publish the state’s first-ever resource bank regarding gun violence in Colorado. ...Read More

In 2021, approximately 70% of U.S. service members who died by suicide did so with a firearm, most commonly a personal, rather than military-issued, firearm. National leaders and public health experts, including the White House in January 2024, have encouraged approaches to promote secure storage of home firearms. Researchers are now interested in who is the most effective messenger to encourage secure storage.  ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed for Brain & Life magazine on keeping loved ones with dementia safe from firearms. ...Read More

Erin Kelly, DrPH, MA, director of research and evaluation for the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and research associate for the CSPH Injury and Violence Prevention Center, led the survey project and emphasizes that the results will create an ongoing opportunity to assess and address community-specific concerns. ...Read More

Most pediatricians don’t provide direct care for a physical injury following a mass shooting, but they often see the effects of those traumatic events land in their office. “Considerations regarding gun violence in general have become a necessity in pediatric practice,” write psychiatry researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine who last month published a paper in the journal Pediatric Clinics of North America introducing a flexible framework that can help pediatricians support children and their families after they’ve experienced a mass violence event. From 2016 to 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported...Read More

For the first time in Colorado, a survey has been conducted to gather residents’ perceptions and beliefs around firearm injury risk, ownership, storage, and opportunities for prevention. The survey, which will be repeated yearly, will help inform ongoing firearm injury prevention strategies and advance the understanding of firearm-related topics that pertain to Colorado. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was quoted in this Wall Street Journal article on gun storage options that can save lives. ...Read More

With Colorado home to six military bases, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has become a hub for active-duty medical students, fellows, and collaborators. With a commitment to providing a supportive learning and work environment, the CU Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research has grown its research scholar and fellow programs along with supporting active-duty and National Guardsman research collaborators. ...Read More

“The fact is that access to a firearm matters,” said Erin Kelly, a researcher at the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz. “Whether it's in the face of suicide or in the face of community violence, more people are likely to die if a gun is used.” ...Read More

In 2023, some of the nation’s top public health researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health tackled a variety of the largest public health questions facing us today. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed for a Denverite article on gun violence and guns' lethality in hostile situations. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, was interviewed for The Journalist's Resource on the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative's research mission and perspective on non-divisive reporting. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed about a survey she co-authored on each state’s process for reporting mental health records to NICS. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was quoted on gun storage in this Montana Free Press article. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed as part of the New England Journal of Medicine's Double Take video series. ...Read More

The menu featured innovation and knowledge on Sunday as about 200 Science Writers 2023 participants attended a variety of talks during Lunch With a Scientist sessions. In small breakout groups, CU Anschutz researchers shared their expertise on a host of subjects, from psychedelics in medicine to AI in healthcare. ...Read More

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, has been elected as a new member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Betz, director of the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and professor of emergency medicine in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is the sixth faculty member from the CU School of Medicine to receive the honor from NAM. Becoming a NAM member is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. ...Read More