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Doctor: Rising gun violence in Indianapolis ‘can negatively affect other patients’

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gun violence takes up a lot of resources in the medical system and, with gun-related homicides on the rise, local systems are feeling the influx.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has recorded 42 homicides through March 6 this year; 37 of those were gun-related. At the same date in 2022, IMPD recorded 35 homicides, 26 of which were by gun.

Dr. Bradley Sherman has seen a lot in his 13 years as a surgeon. He served in the U.S. Navy as a flight surgeon and is now a trauma and acute care surgeon at Eskenazi Hospital. “We’re kind of the first bastion of care when it comes to a lot of these injuries that result in either severe injury or death.”

He notes there is more than gun violence in the hospital and too much of one thing can take away from other patients. “And it does start negatively affecting other patients if the services that we offer become stretched thin,” Sherman said.

There are a limited number of beds, blood products, medical professionals and other supplies across the health systems.

“Oftentimes, there are one if not two trauma physicians in at night with multiple teams and, if that resource becomes over utilized because there are multiple influxes of traumas, whether that be from penetrating trauma, gunshots, or from motorcycles or car wrecks, that can start strapping the system and availability of personnel,” Sherman said.

Gunshot wounds require a massive response in terms of personnel needed to save the patient. “We go down as a team. My team usually consists of a trauma surgeon, a few residents, usually two or three nurses and a tech.”

The constant influx of trauma and gunshot wounds can take a toll on staff but Sherman said their medical teams’ training allows their members to continue caring for patients each day.

Sherman said Eskenazi Hospital can handle mass casualties so he is not concerned about running out of beds due to increased gun violence.

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