Each year, 1-in-4 children sustain injuries serious enough to require medical attention. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh annually admits between 1,600-1,700 children facing injury, making it one of the busiest pediatric trauma centers in the country. UPMC Children’s multidisciplinary Pediatric Trauma Program team is committed to reducing the impact of injury on children’s lives through research, education, and prevention.
With philanthropic support, the Trauma Program incorporates a robust Injury Prevention Department. Injury Prevention initiatives run the gamut, from an in-house safety center designed to mimic a home environment, to bike helmet distributions and water safety events that aim to keep local kids safe.
Here are a few of the vital programs this team offers with backing from generous donors:
Protecting kids, one helmet at a time
“Hard Heads” educates kids of all ages on the importance of wearing a helmet while riding anything on wheels. Throughout the summer, UPMC Children’s staff visit neighborhoods to show kids how to wear helmets correctly and provide coupons for free helmets to any child who does not own one. Just by wearing helmets, more than 85 percent of head injuries could be prevented!
Bringing home safety right to your neighborhood
The Injury Prevention Home Safety Van is a mobile resource that brings the expertise of our hospital’s Safety Center to families throughout the region. Staff provide families with tools and education to reduce the risk of injury in their homes, including safety gates, outlet covers, and cabinet locks. The Safety Van is made possible by a generous gift from the Gismondi Family Foundation.
Raising awareness and safe practices around firearm storage
In the U.S., nearly one-half of all homes with children have firearms, making safe storage of paramount importance. Earlier this year, Injury Prevention hosted a Safer Storage event to educate community members about secure firearm storage, in partnership with Equitrans Midstream Foundation. Additionally, the Safety Van visited the Pittsburgh International Auto Show, where they provided storage education and firearm locks to visitors.
UPMC Children’s will always be here to treat injured children, but preventing those injuries from happening in the first place is the best-case scenario. Your giving fuels UPMC Children’s Pediatric Trauma Program to further lifesaving treatment, innovative teaching, and groundbreaking research. Help ensure that our young patients receive pioneering trauma care.