Injury Free Prevention Day is November 18
Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability to U.S. children from 1 to 18 years old. Every day, 20 children die from preventable injuries, resulting in more deaths than all other diseases combined. Hennepin Healthcare is one of 40 Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers in the nation that comprise the Injury Free Coalition for Kids® (IFCK). IFCK is among the country’s most effective injury prevention programs. The hospital-based, community-oriented injury prevention efforts are anchored in research, education, and advocacy. Each site has independent, physician-led programs driven by the coalition’s mission: preventing injury to children. Coalition members work to empower the diverse populations who live there, and then address the injuries most prevalent in their areas.
I am privileged to have worked alongside Andrew Kiragu, MD, the IFCK of Minneapolis site physician leader since 2002. Together with our partners in prevention, we conduct targeted research and interventions. Currently, we are collecting childhood injury data from Minnesota that will be combined with other IFCK sites to assess injury trends for children prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, families are spending more time in their homes, increasing the risk of a home-related injury. Join us Wednesday, November 18, 2020, when the Injury Free Coalition for Kids will launch the inaugural “National Injury Prevention Day” to raise awareness about the significance of injury and advocate for prevention.
Hennepin Healthcare will kick-off the event on Sunday, November 15 from 7-8 am on the Healthy Matters radio show featuring critical care pediatrician Andrew Kiragu, MD, and trauma prevention coordinator Julie Philbrook, RN. On November 18th please join us for a variety of events and activities to raise awareness about the significance of preventable injuries and advocate for prevention. Watch us light up a spot in Minneapolis in the IFCK color “green”.
To find a list of resources and activities, including a contest where you could win a $25 Target Gift card, visit the injury prevention page.
Julie Philbrook, RN, DNP, MAN, MAL, is the Trauma Prevention Program Coordinator at Hennepin Healthcare. She serves as a member of the National Injury-Free Coalition for Kids.
Andrew W. Kiragu, MD is the medical director for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Hennepin Healthcare. He also serves on the national Board of Directors for the National Injury-Free Coalition for Kids.