[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck announced today that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago a $314,000 grant – and up to $1.57 million in funding over the next five years – to help expand the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS) statewide.

Violence-related deaths and injuries cost the United States an estimated $107 billion a year in medical care and lost productivity. The IVDRS currently collects and analyzes data from six Illinois counties to determine the causes and correlates of violent deaths, and to help develop effective prevention policies and programs in Illinois communities. The program is operated by the Child Health Data Lab at Lurie's Children's Hospital, which will use the funding announced today to expand IVDRS data collection and analysis throughout Illinois.

“Each year, more than fifty-six thousand Americans suffer violent death.  In order to develop effective strategies to address this staggering loss of life, it is critical that we invest in a comprehensive system to track and understand the circumstances of these tragic deaths,” Durbin said. “This funding is particularly important for efforts to craft strategies to reduce the high rate of violent deaths due to gun violence. We cannot win the fight against gun violence without good intelligence, and this funding will significantly improve the data we can use to analyze violent deaths in Illinois communities.”

“We would like to congratulate Lurie's Children's Hospital on receiving federal funding to collect violent death data in an effort to improve violence prevention programs,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. “The Illinois Department of Public Health works closely with Lurie's Children's Hospital and additional death data will enable us to explore innovative new ways to address and reduce violence. Violence prevention is a top priority and critical to the short- and long-term health, safety and viability of our communities.”

“Our participation in NVDRS allows us to bring together information from death certificates, coroner reports and law enforcement reports to tell the whole story of circumstances surrounding violent death in Illinois,” said Maryann Mason, PhD, lead investigator and research director at the Injury Prevention and Research Center. “This ‘complete picture’ will guide our efforts in improving violence prevention efforts in Illinois.” 

The Child Health Data Lab at Lurie Children’s Hospital has operated the IVDRS since 2005. With funding and support from the Illinois Department of Public Health, IVDRS currently collects data in six Illinois counties: Lake, Cook, DuPage, Peoria, McHenry, and Kane. With the federal funding announced today, CHDL will continue to develop and expand IVDRS based on the National Violent Death Reporting System model.

The National Violent Death Reporting System is a national network that links data from public health, law enforcement, medical examiners, and social service agencies to develop effective strategies to prevent violent death, including those caused by suicide, homicide, child abuse, and domestic violence. Using these data, states can develop tailored prevention and intervention efforts to reduce violent deaths.