This session is designed for trauma professionals and will examine firearm-related deaths in Montana through a trauma system and injury prevention lens. Dr. McKenzie will review epidemiologic trends, common injury patterns, and contributing factors unique to a rural, frontier setting—including access to care, transport times, and resource variability. The presentation will connect these factors to real-world challenges faced by trauma teams, highlight opportunities for system-level improvement, and discuss evidence-informed prevention strategies that trauma programs can incorporate to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the geographic challenges of trauma care in Montana
- Describe the firearm related death issue in Montana.
- Demonstrate understanding of the driver of the high firearm mortality rate in Montana.
- List the barriers to reducing Montana’s firearm related deaths.
- Describe characteristics of Montana contributing to the firearm death rate.
- State efforts in Montana being made to reduce firearm related deaths.
