Dear Colleagues;
It is with very mixed emotions that I tell you that Dr. LJ Punch has decided to step away from their roles here at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Punch has been a true inspiration to me, our students, our residents and fellows, and I know many of you. Punch is a true champion of trauma informed care, excellence in community outreach, and ending violence. Punch is a gifted physician and a truly exceptional teacher and role model. They have had a remarkable impact on our curriculum and on my thinking surrounding structural racism and anti-racism education. I will be forever grateful for these contributions and will do my best to ensure we strive to achieve Punch’s vision for curriculum and community engagement. The COVID pandemic and racial unrest reinforced for them the work they feel compelled to do- serve our St Louis Community. LJ will be focusing time at “The T”, their anti-violence center on Delmar Blvd, through a variety of expanded initiatives around opiate use disorder and homelessness, continuing work with PrepareSTL, and developing a bullet related injury clinic for those whose lives have been impacted by gun violence. Our loss is very clearly St Louis’ gain and we are all lucky for that.
Eva