Department of Emergency Medicine News and Stories

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, director of the University of Colorado Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and professor of emergency medicine in the CU School of Medicine, led a study that examined Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) cases for older adults in six states. The study was funded by the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research and published earlier this month in the journal Clinical Gerontologist.

Colleen Miracle | September 20, 2023

Firearms are involved in more than half of suicides in the U.S. The gun suicide rate has reached an all-time high, and for the first time, the rate is higher among Black kids and teens than white ones, according to a recent analysis by Johns Hopkins University. William Brangham speaks with Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, to learn more.

PBS | September 09, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed for NPR's All Things Considered.

NPR | September 05, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine and director of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, was interviewed on CPR about firearm storage.

CPR | September 05, 2023

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine continue to inform medical practice on military battlefields and provide time-sensitive solutions. Faculty in the CU Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Anesthesiology, and their research teams are leading a myriad of projects to improve care for critically ill, trauma, and burn patients, as well as investigating mental health and resiliency care for military communities.

Colleen Miracle | August 25, 2023

Christopher Knoepke, PhD, MSW, LCSW, law enforcement lead for the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, received a two-year grant from the Fund for a Safer Future and is leading a project with the Colorado Attorney General’s office and law enforcement agencies throughout the state to create new videos and discussion guides on extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs).

Colleen Miracle | August 15, 2023

July marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Dr. Betz, professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed by SciLine.

Daily State News | August 01, 2023

SciLine interviewed Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine, who discussed the critical need to raise awareness about 988, the increasing numbers of suicide deaths in the U.S. and the signs that someone is thinking about suicide.

The Conversation | July 31, 2023

A new dataset, released by researchers from the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, maps the geographic distribution of mass shooting incidence rates. In their study, published July 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, the authors provide clear metrics on mass shootings in each state and the District of Columbia from 2014 through 2022.

TIME | July 27, 2023

The United States has more than 10 times the number of mass shooting incidents than other developed countries, yet little research has shown the distribution and types of shootings, geographically.

Colleen Miracle | July 26, 2023

Supporting a family member who is struggling with mental health becomes even more crucial when the family member has access to a firearm. Many firearm suicide attempts are made hastily, after only deliberating a few minutes to a few hours, and 90% of attempts are fatal.

Colleen Miracle | June 05, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine, interviewed for a story on the mission behind Guns to Gardens, a faith-based group part of a national movement of churches to tackle gun violence.

The Colorado Sun | June 01, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed as part of a "9Wants to Know" investigation, which looked at every shooting in Colorado during a week in May and June in 2022 and paints a picture of violence that can happen anywhere.

9 News | May 31, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed by CBS4 news on the launch of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and the need for research and resources as the number of Coloradans dying by firearm increases.

CBS4 Denver | May 16, 2023

The University of Colorado School of Medicine has officially launched the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, bringing CU Anschutz experts together to serve as a trusted community and national resource for firearms-related research and solutions.

Colleen Miracle | April 24, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, writes about developing the first online “firearm storage map” showing locations willing to consider temporary, voluntary firearm storage in Colorado. "These programs are a promising and non-partisan way to try to save lives."

Public Health Post | April 18, 2023

On Wednesday, The Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research hosted leaders from Uniformed Services University (USU) on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for a research affiliation agreement ceremony to highlight the continued research partnership between USU and the CU School of Medicine.

Colleen Miracle | March 17, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, said every type of shooting can leave lasting scars, visible and invisible.

CPR | March 15, 2023

Emmy Betz, MD, director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and Joe Simonetti, MD, assistant professor and Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative collaborator, served on a 14-person panel at a gun violence forum presented by Students Demand Action.

Denverite | March 10, 2023

The American Medical Association interviews Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, on firearm-related injury and suicide—and the role physicians can play in helping to prevent it.

American Medical Association | February 24, 2023

The Denver Post interviews Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, on whether new injury prevention research would support the proposals on age restrictions for firearms.

The Denver Post | February 23, 2023

 Dr. Emmy Betz gives ideas and perspective on health outcomes after mass shootings, mental health implications, and other tools to prevent gun violence.

CPR | January 05, 2023

CDPHE partners with the Colorado School of Public Health and the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative to create gun violence prevention resource bank.

Colorado School of Public Health | December 21, 2022

“We need to be looking at what's happening every single day in urban communities and across the country, in terms of suicide, if we really wanna look at where the bulk of gun deaths are,” said Emmy Betz, a professor and deputy director of the Injury and Violence Prevention Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

CPR | December 08, 2022

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has identified firearm suicide prevention as a key priority, but critical gaps remain in preventing deaths by firearm among service members. According to the 2020 DoD Annual Suicide Report, approximately 60-80% of suicides among service members are enacted with a firearm.

Colleen Miracle | December 06, 2022

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow visited the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus on Monday to learn more about current programs and research on the campus that address the U.S. military’s medical needs, including solutions in combat casualty care, critical and emergency care, surgical trauma, and acute mental health. The Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research hosted the visit that included additional CU leadership and research groups for a supportive discussion on current military medical challenges.

Colleen Miracle | December 02, 2022

On Veterans Day, we honor those who serve and have served in the U.S. military. For two University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers, Veterans Day is also a time to reflect on the importance of mental health support for veterans at risk for suicide. Through intervention strategies and close collaboration with veterans and clinicians, they are working on strategies and tactics to prevent veteran suicides by firearm.

Colleen Miracle | November 11, 2022

The first episode focuses on dementia, and how to navigate aging, gun ownership, and safety with expert advice from emergency room physician and firearm safety researcher Dr. Emmy Betz from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

DVIDS | November 09, 2022

Dr. Betz interviewed for "Ricochet: An American Trauma", an hour-long documentary examining the US gun violence crisis and the people it impacts most. Dr. Betz provides a perspective from the emergency room regarding these types of injuries and deaths.

PBS News Hour | October 05, 2022

An opinion piece on military suicides from firearms, written by researchers including Emmy Betz, MD, professor of emergency medicine.

The Hill | June 10, 2022

Emergency physician, Emmy Betz, MD, wants parents to talk with their kids about guns and mental health to prevent suicide deaths. 

CPR | June 03, 2022

“On the whole, older drivers are safe,” says Dr. Marian Betz, an expert in healthy aging at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. “They tend to drive slower than younger drivers and have a lot of experience. But some health conditions common with aging may make it riskier to get behind the wheel. Stiffer joints and weaker muscles can make it harder to steer or brake safely. Eye diseases and some medications can cause vision problems. Hearing loss can blunt the sounds of horns or sirens. And cognitive changes, even mild ones, may impair quick decisions behind the wheel.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) | October 11, 2021

“It feels like there’s this wonderful [burst of] topics being studied, the questions being asked, the answers we’re getting, as well as the growth of the people doing the work, which is what we’ve needed for decades,” Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in an interview. “We’re still way behind, but hopefully it will continue,” noted Betz, who received 2 NIH awards.

JAMA Network | August 04, 2021

In 2010, total U.S. traffic deaths fell to their lowest level since the 1950s – due in part to more motorists buying into “buckling up and embracing safety innovations.” Motor vehicle death rates have remained roughly steady since that time despite more people driving.

The Hill | April 08, 2021

In a county with many recreational firearms enthusiasts and a high rate of suicide, the partnership works to distribute cable locks for guns to the community to encourage people to store their weapons safely.

Rocky Mountain PBS | November 23, 2020

This map was developed to help community members seeking local options for temporary, voluntary firearm storage.

Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition | July 10, 2020

An emergency room physician and a gun shop owner, who advocate together for suicide prevention, say they are concerned a recent increase in gun sales in Colorado could leave more people at risk for suicide.

Rocky Mountain PBS | April 11, 2020

Access to certain things in the home, whether it be firearms or medication, can be dangerous for someone at risk of suicide. Now researchers with the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus, have created a free tool to help address the issue.

CBS News | January 30, 2020

On today’s program of “Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co,” Cam speaks with Dr. Emmy Betz of the Colorado Firearms Safety Coalition about a new interactive map that helps gun owners figure out where they can safely and temporarily store firearms if need be, and Kareem Shaya of Open Source Defense joins Cam to talk about his idea to revamp the existing background check system, provide more privacy for gun owners, and offer up a way to help gun owners sell their privately owned firearms to those legally allowed to buy them.

Bearing Arms | September 03, 2019

Around half of all Americans older than 65 live in a home with a firearm. And one in three senior citizens dies with some form of dementia. By one estimate, by 2050, as many as 12 million people with dementia may live in homes with guns.

PBS News Hour | June 25, 2018

How can we support and protect people we love with the going gets rough? This inspiring talk, injury prevention expert Emmy Betz shares her experience at the nexus of conversations about trauma, guns and suicide.

TedXMileHigh | July 15, 2015