2024 News Highlights

Randi Smith, MD, was invited to the White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention as a prevention expert for National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 7, 2024. The event, titled “White Coats at the White House,” included leaders of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention as well as Second Gentleman, Douglas Emhoff. Also present were dozens of violence prevention experts consisting mostly of physicians in a broad spectrum of backgrounds.

The event highlighted the gun violence prevention efforts taking place across the country, ranging from initiatives in education, policy, prevention, and more. It also showcased the steps taken by the White House administration to combat gun violence across the country, including policies such as the establishment of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.   

Dr. Smith was an excellent candidate to take part in the conference, given her experience and expertise leading the Interrupting Violence in Youths and Young Adults (IVYY) Program at Grady Memorial Hospital, her position on the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence advisory board, and involvement with the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention. 

“The experiences that I've had with the IVYY Project, along with serving as a member of several boards and committees that deal with violence prevention, afforded me the opportunity to be a part of this important conversation,” says Dr. Smith. "I was excited to be invited to the event, especially as someone who represents POC communities and recognizes the need for diverse voices to be heard."   

Notably, the June 7th conference wasn’t the only event that Dr. Smith took part in. She was also invited to an event on the 6th as a representative of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), consisting of multiple leading healthcare executives across the country.  

This event featured focused dialogues on how hospitals and healthcare systems serve in violence prevention. With dozens of the most influential healthcare and hospital leaders across the country present, the conversation wasn’t about convincing the attendees but rather, discussing how to get others to buy in. 

“The people in the room were part of the choir. They’ve bought into it,” said Dr. Smith. “[The question was] ‘How do you get other people to jump on board? How do you get people not involved to get on board?’” 

With the gridlock around gun violence in government, solutions are becoming more reliant on healthcare providers. For Dr. Smith, it may be a matter of approaching the problem with empathy and compassion. 

“Most of my work is from passion and purpose and using my heart to guide me.”