“ Preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy.”— Max Mayfield
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About Gunwise USA
Firearm-related tragedies have become too common in our society and research has shown that there is a direct correlation between firearms safety education and their reduction.
Healthcare, social service, and community advocacy teams often report feeling ill-prepared to discuss or counsel patients, victims, and their families about firearms, safe firearm handling, proper storage, and available resources to protect themselves and those they love. In addition, the lack of access in many communities to qualified firearms training specialists further contributes to the problem.
Gunwise USA provides comprehensive firearms safety training, free of political bias and partisan rhetoric that is specifically targeted to at-risk communities and the healthcare and social service professionals that service them, provided by nationally recognized experts, and delivered in a safe and enjoyable environment.
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About Jose Morales
José D. Morales
Founder, Gunwise USA
Owner, Philly Firearms Academy
Certified Firearms Instructor
Email: jose@gunwiseusa.com
José a US Army Veteran and multi-disciplinarily Certified Firearms Instructor with over three decades of firearms teaching experience who is passionate about minimizing firearms tragedies through partnership with communities and health care organizations.His firearm safety training collaboration with his wife, Gunwise USA’s co-founder, Dr. Merle Carter, a nationally recognized leader in Academic Emergency Medicine, gives him a unique perspective and approach to the firearms education needs within Philadelphia communities and the healthcare social organizations that serve them.
José has collaborated with local and regional healthcare specialists in interpersonal and gun violence, and firearm safety. He has also collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania National Institute of Health-funded studies on firearm safety promotion, Temple University Department of Psychiatry, Temple University Hospital's Safety Net, Einstein Hospital Department of Pediatrics, and CeaseFirePA, among others.
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About Merle Carter
Merle A. Carter, MD
Co-Founder, Gunwise USA
Certified Range Safety Officer
Certified Instructor, Stop the Bleed
Email: merle@gunwiseusa.com
Merle is an emergency physician with over 20 years of experience in urban trauma centers in Philadelphia and Boston. She holds an M.D. degree from Yale University, School of Medicine. She is currently the Executive Vice-Chair of Emergency Medicine at the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, with oversight of 3 Emergency Departments in Philadelphia & Montgomery Counties. Her focus is graduate medical education, trauma-informed care, health equity, firearm safety, and empowering communities through civic engagement.In addition to departmental leadership & strategic planning, she has responsibility and oversight of faculty affairs as well as leadership and professional development of the clinical and academic faculty. She has served as Residency Program Director of the Department’s 2 Residency Programs, Vice President & Officer of Einstein’s Medical Staff Board, and the network’s Vice President for Graduate Medical Education.
Merle has been a managing partner, assistant instructor, and medical consultant for Philly Firearms Academy (PFA) since 2014. She has broadened this work to serve healthcare organizations in providing the education and training needed to support efforts to reduce gun violence and other firearm-related injuries.
