theGrio’s 100: Dr. Robert J. Gore, saving lives even before the trauma
theGRIO's 100 - In addition to training future physicians and practicing medicine -- where he treats victims of violence from a medical standpoint -- Gore dedicates his time to youth and violence prevention.
Who is Dr. Robert J. Gore?
Dr. Robert J. Gore, 36, is an emergency room physician and clinical assistant professor at Kings County Hospital/SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, NY.
A self-described “avid wanderer,” his work has frequently taken him beyond the American borders. He has worked in East Africa, Haiti and South America. And, since 2008, he has worked on a project set in north and northeast Haiti, where he works with local leadership to develop a regional health care system.
When he’s not on the clock, he’s known as a “boarder” — snowboarder, skateboarder and surfer — and studies the Afro-Brazilian martial art called capoeira.
Why is he on theGrio’s 100?
In addition to training future physicians and practicing medicine — where he treats victims of violence from a medical standpoint — Gore dedicates his time to youth and violence prevention. He also shares his expertise as he lectures across the United States, South America and Asia on the topic.
He is the executive director of the Kings Against Violence Initiative, or KAVI, a hospital- and school-based initiative focused on preventing youth violence and empowering teens at risk for violent injury.
Gore helped form this program after years of witnessing violence among young men and women — growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s, living in Atlanta while attending college at Morehouse, in Buffalo for medical school and as a resident physician in Chicago.
He saw that many of these patients came back as repeat victims, and after seeing the same at Kings County Hospital as a practicing physician, he decided something needed to be done. Through KAVI, Gore hopes to improve opportunities for these at-risk teens.
However, this passion is not new. Gore has been a mentor and worked with youth since he was a high school student, and he’s finally able to combine that with his work as a physician.
He recently joined the board of Inner City Foundation of New York, which is dedicated to developing school and educational opportunities for urban New York City youth.
What’s next for Dr. Gore?
The New York native hopes to expand his work in violence prevention outside of Brooklyn and New York City. He is also working on bridging that work with his international efforts.
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