Memorial Hermann Helps Community #BeInjuryFree

Educating the Community about Safe Sleep, and ATV, Firearm and Burn Safety

With the busiest Level 1 trauma center in the country, Memorial Hermann understands the importance of preventing injuries, which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children and young adults living in the United States.

On November 18, 2021, National Injury Prevention Day, Memorial Hermann partnered with Injury Free Coalition for Kids and other top injury prevention organizations to provide Houston-area families and community leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to create safer environments. The multifaceted effort focused on four crucial safety areas: safe sleep for infants, and ATV, firearm and burn safety.

“National Injury Prevention Day offers the opportunity to educate the public about injury prevention. Memorial Hermann and our injury prevention colleagues around the city, region, state and nation are collaborating to increase awareness and to shine a green light on injury prevention,” says Sarah Beth Abbott, Injury Prevention and Outreach Education Coordinator at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Houston and Texas Proclaimations

Houston mayor Sylvester Turner and Texas governor Greg Abbott issued city and state proclamations, respectively, decreeing November 18, 2021, Injury Prevention Day. Mayor Turner commended Memorial Hermann, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and all involved for their efforts to help keep Houston’s children safe.

Home Safety Kits

Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and UTHealth Houston distributed home safety kits to new parents at UT Physicians Pediatric Primary Care clinic. Sponsored in part by Juvenile Products and Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the home safety kits included infant sleep sacks, water thermometers, cabinet locks, babysitter notepads, safety booklets and important safety tips.

Media Outreach

Affiliated pediatrician Sandra McKay, MD, associate professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and injury prevention advocate for the Injury Prevention Coalition for Kids, spoke to Houston media personality Deborah Duncan about infant and child safety on KHOU’s Great Day Houston and also appeared on Houston’s Fox 26 news.

National Conversation via Twitter

Memorial Hermann participated in a live national conversation about safety and violence during a one-hour Twitter chat. Using the hashtag #BeInjuryFree, the session garnered nearly 5,000 tweets among over 1,000 unique users.

Shining a Light on Injury Prevention

As the sun set, hospitals, landmarks, businesses and neighborhoods were asked to shine a green light on injury prevention to raise awareness about the need for change. Seven Memorial Hermann campuses were lit for the occasion.

Abbott and her injury prevention colleagues have already begun planning for National Injury Prevention Day 2022 and are looking for new community partners. If you are an EMS, fire department or other agency interested in collaborating or learning more about how to become involved in this national event, please email Sarah.Abbott@memorialhermann.org.