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.

Hennepin Healthcare kicked 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.

Julie Philbrook, RN, DNP, MAN, MAL, was 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.