Boston Medical Center’s Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program: Bridging Data for Improved Care and Research

• In Event: Developing and Testing an Ecosystem Approach for Community Violence Research, Evaluation, and Planning

Abstract

The Violence Intervention Advocacy Program (VIAP) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) provides crisis intervention and wrap-around case management to individuals treated for assaultive gunshot and knife wounds, along with their support systems. A central component of VIAP is its ever-evolving clinical database, which enables seamless documentation and integrates additional data sources to support clinical operations, reporting requirements, program evaluation, and research. This workshop will explore how VIAP leverages diverse data sources to provide a fuller understanding of the individuals receiving services, offering critical context that informs care. Maintaining and enhancing this system requires collaboration, accountability, trust, and mission-driven stewardship amongst team members. System administrators play a vital role in understanding and prioritizing clinical needs, incorporating available data sources, and structuring information to optimize both real-time decision-making and long-term research. Attendees will gain insight into the challenges and opportunities of accessing and managing sensitive program data, how strategic data stewardship strengthens both individual care and program impact, and how VIAP’s database functions within Boston’s broader CVI ecosystem.

Author

• Megan Georges, Boston Medical Center