Saving Lives Mentally as Well as Physically

I was truly inspired by the story of this Baltimore-area surgeon, Dr. Carnell Cooper, who didn’t just save lives physically, but worked to turn a patient’s live around mentally.

How many times do we hear about shootings and violent lifestyles that seem to go on until someone pays the ultimate price?  Well this doctor decided to change that. He started a program that connects people to support services that help change the way they live. Things like ” GED classes, conflict resolution, mentoring and parenting skills. A peer support group also meets at the hospital once a week.”

Dr. Cooper published a study a few years ago in the Journal of Trauma that shows the program works. It says that people in the program were not as likely to be involved in violent crimes going forward. Dr. Cooper said that surgery in repairing their injury is only the first step in their treatment. “The next step is to try to keep them from coming back.”

Image: sxc.hu.