Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is shining a light on injury prevention.
As part of the third annual National Injury Prevention Day on Friday, Nov. 18, Monroe Carell will join other hospitals nationwide to raise awareness about the need for injury and violence prevention.
“Injury is the leading cause of death and disability for children,” said Jeffrey Upperman, MD, surgeon-in-chief at Monroe Carell. “It is of paramount importance that we advocate and educate on safe practices that parents and caregivers need to follow to keep their loved ones safe.”
Friday has been proclaimed Child Injury Prevention Day in Tennessee by Gov. Bill Lee, and the Metro Nashville Courthouse along with other area landmarks will light up green in support of the efforts.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, preventable injuries are the No. 1 killer of children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost 1 million children die of injuries each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable.
To bring awareness and celebrate National Injury Prevention Day, our faculty and staff will be operating a safety booth in the Pediatric Emergency Department. The booth will give families being discharged from the department an opportunity to learn about fall and poison prevention. They will also receive safety products tailored to their needs. These products include window locks, home safety kits, gun locks, and other safety prevention items such as bike reflectors and reflective slap bracelets.
“Our participation in the annual National Injury Prevention Day is important to our mission in the Pediatric Emergency Department,” said Michele Walsh, MD, division chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Monroe Carell. “Providing education, paired with safety tools that families can take home and use properly, is one way that we can partner with families in the community to keep children safe.
