Book Talk: Healing the Gun Violence Epidemic with Selwyn Rogers

Dr. Rogers will be in conversation with Dr. Garth Walker, with Q&A and book signing to follow.

For readers seeking solutions to finally end the gun violence that kills tens of thousands of people each year in the United States— from a Harvard-trained trauma surgeon treating victims in Chicago

In 2018, after decades of treating patients in inner cities that have suffered from decades of disinvestment and institutional racism, Dr. Selwyn Rogers founded a trauma center in Chicago. He has treated thousands of people suffering from gunshot wounds. He’s told loved ones that they lost a child, a father, a dear friend. And he’s initiated change in the community, talking to those in the middle of what can feel like endless bloodshed.

Healing the Gun Violence Epidemic shares the stories of the victims Dr. Rogers has met in his work, and the lessons he’s taken from bearing witness to so much trauma. The book traces the origins of gun violence in the South Side—including decades of generational poverty bred from too little aid—and compares the lives of the young people he treats to his’ own path: from humble beginnings to using his Ivy League education to aid others and, he hopes, to end the cycles that have kept countless people trapped in never-ending agony. In the end, Dr. Rogers shares his insights into what policies have failed and which solutions have succeeded—making him believe that the devastation and trauma can end—not just in Chicago, but across the United States.

Selwyn Rogers, Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, was named the Section Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine in January 2017 and is the founding director of the University of Chicago Medicine Trauma Center. He now serves as the Dr. James E. Bowman, Jr. Professor in the Biological Sciences at The University of Chicago Medicine. Dr. Rogers is an acclaimed trauma and critical care surgeon who has served in leadership capacities at health centers across the country.

Dr. Rogers is a prolific researcher and public health expert. His clinical and research interests focus on understanding the healthcare needs of underserved populations. He has published numerous articles relating to health disparities and the impact of race and ethnicity on surgical outcomes.

Additionally, as executive vice president for community health engagement, Dr. Rogers works with faculty across the University of Chicago as well as members of the community to develop a multidisciplinary approach to trauma care and health disparities. His work will help enhance the understanding of social factors that affect victims of violence and underserved populations, in addition to identifying approaches necessary to achieving better outcomes for trauma victims.