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Firearm Mortality and Equitable Access to Trauma Care in Chicago
Michael R Poulson1, Andrew Benjamin2, Dane R Scantling3
1Section for Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences, Chicago, Illinois.
JAMA Surgery
|February 25, 2026
Summary
Opening a trauma center in an urban "trauma desert" significantly reduced firearm injury mortality by decreasing travel time and distance to care. This addresses critical access disparities in underserved communities.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Trauma Surgery
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Trauma deserts exacerbate firearm injury mortality, disproportionately impacting marginalized urban communities.
- Limited access to trauma care is directly linked to increased mortality after firearm injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of a new Level 1 trauma center on firearm injury mortality in an urban trauma desert.
- To evaluate changes in access to trauma care and associated mortality rates.
Main Methods:
- Interrupted time-series analysis of 45,150 shooting incidents in Chicago (2010-2024).
- Comparison of firearm injury mortality rates before and after the May 2018 opening of the University of Chicago trauma center.
- Analysis stratified by incidents within the University of Chicago service area (UCSA) and outside (non-UCSA).
Main Results:
- Mean travel time to a trauma center decreased by 9.5 minutes in the UCSA (P < .001).
- Mean travel distance decreased by 3.4 miles in the UCSA (P < .001).
- A 3.9% proportionate decrease in firearm injury mortality was observed in the UCSA (P = .007), with no significant change in the non-UCSA.
Conclusions:
- Strategic placement of trauma centers in underserved areas significantly reduces mortality from firearm injuries.
- Findings support trauma system planning to mitigate geographic disparities in trauma care access.
- Addressing access is crucial, especially in communities with high rates of penetrating trauma.
