Dr. LJ Punch (they/them/theirs) is a critical care surgeon, a former professor of trauma surgery at Washington University St. Louis, and a staunch advocate for gun violence prevention. For the past four years, they have been building the T, an anti-violence center in St Louis that supports the local community in recovering from trauma — be it from guns, opioid addiction, COVID-19, or homelessness. Most recently, they opened the Bullet Related Injury Clinic, or the BRIC, to provide both physical and mental health care to those whose lives have been upended by gun violence. Today, we talk to Dr. Punch about community, gun violence prevention, their journey to St. Louis, and the imperative of rebuilding trust. To learn about Dr. Punch’s work and see how you can contribute, visit their websites for the T and the BRIC. To listen to more episodes, visit civic-rx.org.
