美国国家公共电台 NPR After Push From Activists, Chicago's South Side Gets An Adult Trauma Center

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Next week, the south side of Chicago gets something it hasn't had in decades - a high-level adult trauma¹ center at the University of Chicago Hospital. Trauma centers treat people with the most acute wounds, including gunshot injuries. From member station WBEZ, Natalie Moore reports on how activists² pressured the university for years to reopen a trauma unit that it closed in the 1980s.

NATALIE MOORE, BYLINE³: Nearly eight years ago, 18-year-old Damian Turner was shot a few blocks away from the world-class University of Chicago Hospital. But the ambulance couldn't stop there because the hospital didn't have an adult level-one trauma center. Instead, he was transported nine miles north to Northwestern University Hospital where he died of his injuries. Turner's death mobilized some young black activists here to try to get a trauma unit back. Here they are rallying in front of the hospital in 2011.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) Fight, fight, fight because health care is a human right.

MOORE: They demanded that the university reopen an adult trauma center that closed in 1988 after losing millions of dollars treating patients lacking health insurance. Veronica Morris-Moore was early to join the campaign to pressure the university to reopen the center.

VERONICA MORRIS-MOORE: There are a lot of trauma-related deaths because gun violence is such a prevalent issue on the south side. It was then. It is now. It has been for decades. Our time as young people was because we were losing friends. We were at risk ourselves.

MOORE: Research backed them up. If you're shot more than five miles from a trauma center in Chicago, your likelihood of dying is 21 percent greater. The effort to reopen the center received a boost in 2015 when the school was bidding for the Obama Presidential Center. In an about-face, the university said it would again set up a trauma center. But it's a complicated process requiring lots of review. These centers are costly⁴ and need to be staffed with specially⁵ trained surgeons and nurses who treat penetrating⁶ wounds from things like car crashes, stabbings and gunshots. Dr. Selwyn Rogers heads the new center, which he says will also help local groups with social service needs centered around violence.

SELWYN ROGERS: We need to bring together the resources of the university, medical center and community partners so that we could be better able to address health disparities in the public health epidemic⁷ of intentional⁸ violence.

MOORE: One of those community partners is Julian DeShazier, pastor⁹ of University Church - not affiliated¹⁰ with the school. We meet on a weekday afternoon as the organist practices in the sanctuary¹¹.

(SOUNDBITE OF ORGAN MUSIC)

MOORE: Activists used this church as a meeting space when they were planning strategy.

JULIAN DESHAZIER: We began to talk about it from different angles in terms of faith and began to use our resources and access to try to help their voice be heard more. We were able to help mediate¹² conversations between the medical center executives and the organizers who are on the ground doing that work - helping¹³ them talk to each other better. That's the kind of work that churches can do when they're really rooted inside of the community.

MOORE: The hospital estimates that trauma care could cost upwards¹⁴ of $50 million a year. While trauma injuries are unpredictable, it says the new trauma unit could treat up to 4,000 patients a year. That will start when it officially opens Tuesday. For NPR News, I'm Natalie Moore in Chicago.

(SOUNDBITE OF BOARDS OF CANADA'S "ROYGBIV")

1 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

6 penetrating   

adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
• He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

7 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

8 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

9 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

10 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

11 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

12 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。