HJNO Jan/Feb 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS  I  JAN / FEB 2024 51 events were held throughout 2023, where gun safety education and free biometric gun safes were available to Orleans Parish residents. Additionally, we provided tutori- als on how to use the safes and reviewed the other secure storage options. With funding from Children’s Hospital, the City of New Orleans, and the American Acade- my of Pediatrics, more than 700 gun safes were distributed in 2023. City funding will continue into 2024 to continue these life- saving efforts. All adults can help keep kids safe If there is a gun or guns in your home or vehicle, it is essential to store them so that they are inaccessible to children or any unauthorized persons. The best secure storage practice is one that you will use consistently, and there are many types of storage devices that meet the needs of dif- Fabienne Gray, MD Pediatric Surgeon Children’s Hospital New Orleans partnering with the Be SMART program to urgently educate the community about responsible gun ownership. Be SMART is a national program designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions to prevent child gun deaths and injuries. For years, our healthcare providers have cared for thousands of New Orleanians in- jured by gunshot wounds, and every one is devastating. As adults, it is our responsi- bility to keep our children safe. That’s why it is crucial for us to store guns securely if we have them — and to encourage friends and neighbors to practice secure storage whenever children visit their homes. Guns should be stored unloaded, separate from ammunition, and locked in boxes, safes, or with cable locks. At our verified Level II Pediatric Trau- ma Center at Children’s Hospital, we care for far too many of these children in our emergency department, operating rooms, and intensive care units. But we have the power to prevent tragedies like these from happening and to keep our children happy and healthy. In collaboration with the New Orleans Health Department, Office of Neighbor- hood Engagement, and other partners like our New Orleans Public Libraries, public ferent gun owners. Hiding a gun or placing it somewhere that seems out of reach is not enough to keep a naturally curious child from get- ting their hands on it. The gold standard for secure gun storage is to keep all guns unloaded, locked up, and separate from ammunition. To find an upcoming distribution event or to view tools and resources, visit www. chnola.org/besmart. n Fabienne Gray, MD, specializes in pediatric surgery at Children’s Hospital New Orleans and is a mem- ber of the hospital’s Level II PediatricTrauma Center team. She attended medical school and completed residency training at LSU Health New Orleans. She then completed a fellowship in pediatric surgery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Arkan- sas. Additionally, Gray serves on the faculty at LSU Health New Orleans as an assistant professor of clinical surgery.