Injury Prevention
We continually evolve to meet the changing trends of traumatic injuries and the needs of our community in Orange & Sullivan County. In any emergency situation, please remember to call 911.
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Injury Prevention at Garnet Health
Traumatic injury is a leading cause of disability, death and financial distress in the United States. From a motor vehicle crash to a child's fall on a playground, trauma affects us all. Most unintentional injuries and deaths are preventable.
The goal of our Injury Prevention Program at Garnet Health is to identify, try to eliminate the causes of preventable injury, unsafe behaviors, conditions and environments, thereby preventing unintentional injuries and deaths.
Through our close partnership with Emergency Medical Services, Garnet Health is able to provide expert care to our trauma patients beginning in the field and throughout the course of the hospitalization.
Our Programs
As part of becoming a designated Level II Trauma Center at Garnet Health Medical Center, we continually evolve to meet the changing trends of traumatic injuries and the needs of our community in Orange & Sullivan County. Every year, the Injury Prevention Program looks for trends in the types of trauma we treat to determine which areas would benefit from new programming or increased priority.
With this, our Injury Prevention Coordinator, John Nowinski, crafts educational materials which he shares with the community online and in person by making appearances at community events and other gatherings to educate the community on safety tips, trends, statistics, and more.
The following topics are some of the many addressed by our Injury Prevention Program:
Distracted Driving
In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
To help spread awareness and education, our Trauma & Injury prevention team produced this cinematic piece, featuring local Police, EMS, and Fire Department, local drama students, and our very own Garnet Health Medical Center staff.
We will be visiting high schools throughout the year, particularly around prom season, to talk to teens about reckless driving and showing them this video as part of the program.
Kid Safety
Fact: Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the United States. This is why we promote and educate our community from accidental drownings, poisonings and car safety.
Resources:
Car Seat Inspection Station
Garnet Health Medical Center is a car seat fitting station. This is a permanent site where parents and caregivers can either routinely go or call for appointments to have their child's safety seat checked by Child Passenger Safety Technicians. In approximately 45 - 60 minutes, parents and caregivers will receive one-on-one tutorial instructions on the proper use and installation. Parents / caregivers should come prepared with a car seat. A car seat manual and car manual are a plus.
Bicycle Safety
Learning how to properly size your bike helmet, obeying traffic laws, and checking your equipment before riding can help to prevent injury and accidents when you, a loved one, or your child is riding their bike.
Resources:
Motor Vehicle Safety
In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of deaths for teens. In 2014, Garnet Health Medical Center had the trauma team respond to 112 patients involved in motor vehicle accidents.
Where alcohol was involved, Garnet Health Medical Center had 6 deaths and 79 ICU admissions in 2014. Educating the community surrounding motor vehicle safety, especially in teens and in cases of drinking and driving, could help to prevent future cases like these.
Resources:
Fall Prevention
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans - with an older adult being treated in the Emergency Room for a fall every 11 seconds and someone dying every 19 minutes from a fall.
Many of these falls can be prevented by taking simple steps to eliminate obstacles and enstating safety precautions, like non-slip mats.
Resources:
Water Safety
Water safety, especially in the warm months filled with pool, lakes, diving and water parks, is so hugely important to prevent accidents and death. We aim to educate the community on lifesaving skills and safety tips to prevent drownings, dehydration or injury.
Resources: