DENVER 鈥 In Colorado, where聽more people聽, the victims have a profound effect on the physicians who treat them. For some of the doctors on the front lines, the experiences lead to a strong opposition to guns, questions about gun laws and even activism.
Dr. Chris Colwell, an emergency department physician in Denver, says he sees gun-violence victims on a weekly basis. And when those cases are fatal, they are hard to forget.
Denver physician Chris Colwell (Photo by Barry Gutierrez/For KHN)
鈥淭hese are the injuries that the [patients] will come in, and they鈥檒l look at me, and they鈥檒l talk to me, and then they鈥檒l die,鈥 says Colwell, who鈥檚 been at Denver Health, the city鈥檚 biggest public hospital, for 20 years.
Colwell also treated casualties from two of the deadliest mass shootings in American history. He responded to the scene during the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School where 15 people died. He also treated victims of last July鈥檚 movie theater shooting in, where a dozen were killed and 58 wounded.
Often, Colwell will treat a shooting victim, and then treat the shooter after he or she has been caught by police. Colwell describes a case from a few months ago in which he treated a woman who later died 鈥 and then her husband, who fired the gun.
鈥淭hey had had a fight. He had caught her in what he felt was cheating, and he had lost his temper,鈥 he says. 鈥淗e went and grabbed the pistol that he had for home defense at his bedside, and he made a snap decision.鈥 Now, he adds, 鈥渉is life will never be the same, and hers was gone.鈥
Colwell says it鈥檚 remarkable how often people who pull the trigger are surprised at the consequences of their actions. And he鈥檚 deeply disturbed by how easy guns are to get.
鈥淚 see patients every day that are right on the edge of being unstable. 鈥 They describe problems with access to medications; problems with access to psychiatric care or substance abuse care; problems with access to homes or to shelter,鈥 says Colwell. 鈥淏ut they don鈥檛 describe problems with access to guns.鈥
Dr. Katie Bakes, who has worked with Colwell in the emergency department for 10 years, also says it鈥檚 the gunshot victims that she can鈥檛 shake.
A few weeks ago she treated a three-year-old who鈥檇 been shot in the head. Her mother had shot each of her three children and then committed suicide. 鈥淥ur patient was the only one who was ,鈥 Bakes says.
Such experiences have made Bakes unequivocal in her opposition to guns.
Dr. Katie Bakes (Photo courtesy of Denver Health)
鈥淚 hate guns. If I could snap my finger and get rid of all the guns I would. I think they鈥檙e evil,鈥 Bakes says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really care what the other side of the argument is. I just don鈥檛 want to see another 3-year-old come in and be shot in the head.鈥
Bakes and Colwell say gun injuries feel much more deliberate than any other kind of trauma they see.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so senseless,鈥 Bakes says. 鈥淵ou know, it鈥檚 not an accident, somebody intentionally pulled the trigger for whatever reason.鈥
But not all physicians share this perspective.
Dr. Jack Cletcher, a retired orthopedic surgeon, has treated his share of gunshot victims, too, from the streets of Chicago, and, decades ago, he took care of wounded soldiers just off the plane from Vietnam. He can sympathize with Bakes and Colwell, but he doesn鈥檛 agree that laws need to change.
鈥淭his is the kind of emotional reaction that occurs with these horrible catastrophes that happen,鈥 Cletcher says. 鈥淭he gun is only the instrument. It鈥檚 not something that happens because the gun does it. There has to be somebody holding the gun to do it.鈥
Cletcher is opposed to most of the new gun restrictions lawmakers are talking about in and .
Retired orthopedic surgeon Jack Cletcher (Photo by Barry Gutierrez/For KHN)
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we need new laws, we just need to make the ones we have work better,鈥 says Cletcher, who would rather see lawmakers focus on better treatment for the mentally ill, and keeping guns out of their hands.
Recently, leaders of the Colorado Medical Society went to Washington to for measures to help prevent gun violence. Strengthening mental health care was on their agenda, and they support President Barack Obama鈥檚 executive action for increased research into gun violence.
Dr. John Bender, the organization鈥檚 president-elect, showed Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D- Colo., the results of a recent survey of the medical society鈥檚 members in which about two-thirds聽want to see gun regulations strengthened and about a third don鈥檛.
No similar survey exists for doctors nationwide, but a majority of AMA delegates have tighter restrictions on guns. , but among those calling for stricter gun control laws are the and several groups of specialists, including the聽 , the and the .
This story is part of a partnership聽that includes Kaiser Health News,聽, and .