Last week we came across another tragic tale of an orthopedic surgeon who was shot and killed by a patient he was trying to help. On July 11, Dr. Benjamin Mauck decided to take time out of his busy day to see a patient who had been waiting for several hours to see a doctor without an appointment. Shortly after beckoning the patient into an exam room, the disturbed 29-year-old patient shot the doctor three times before fleeing the building. Dr. Mauck did not survive the attack, but police were able to arrest the shooter a short while later.
Unfortunately this isn’t the first time we’ve written about gun violence against orthopedic surgeons. Last year, we wrote about the shooting death of Dr. Preston Phillips, who was also slain by an aggravated patient. But in such a politically divided country, can anything be done to curb the problem of gun violence against healthcare workers?
Dr. Silverman Shares His Thoughts
This is incredibly disturbing. This isn’t just a trend, this is a significant problem. Healthcare workers are far too frequently the target of gun violence in America.
Gun rights advocates will say that it’s because clinics and hospitals are gun free zones, but we know where there are more guns there is more gun violence. Moreover, healthcare oftentimes leads to complex and intense emotions, and we don’t always think rationally when stressed and emotionally tested.
Gun control advocates will say we need to limit the guns available, but as we saw with our attempt to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, there’s not going to be one straight forward solution to completely address a nationwide issue. The problem of increasing violence towards healthcare workers is a reflection of what is going on in our society. There is less reverence for others and less grace. There is a pervasive sadness and hopelessness. This leads to resentment and anger.
Unfortunately, unlike in foot and ankle surgery, I cannot devise an elegant solution. I know that repeating the errors of the past will not work, and doing what feels like the right thing won’t work. I am hopeful since “necessity is the mother of ingenuity,” and we have reached a point that it is necessary that we make helpful and positive changes.
My thoughts are with Dr. Mauck’s wife and children during this difficult time.
