Boston Trauma Institute

Boston Medical Center (BMC) sees the highest percentage of penetrating trauma cases in the city. Faculty and staff are experts in trauma treatment, renowned for their culturally responsive and innovative approaches to care delivery and in meeting the unique needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. The Boston Trauma Institute (BTI) was established to formalize BMC’s leadership in this area, with a goal of innovating, evaluating, and disseminating new models of care and support services for trauma survivors in Boston and beyond. It is another example of a long-standing commitment in the Department of Surgery to raise awareness about the impact of inequities in care and empower medical students, residents, and faculty in conducting related research and working toward meaningful change, as members of Socially Responsible Surgery have been doing successfully since 2014.

Boston Medical Center is already home to a number of nationally recognized, evidence-based programs specifically designed to meet the medical, social, behavioral, and emotional needs of those affected by violence. Under the direction of Peter Burke, MD, Professor of Surgery at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and former chief of Acute Care and Trauma Surgery, BTI expands the commitment of the institution to treating the whole patient, providing support well beyond the operating room and bedside.

A major focus of the BTI is translational research centered on examining how social determinants of trauma put individuals at risk for becoming victims of violence and developing and implementing initiatives to address the underlying factors. Read more about our past and current research efforts.