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W IT H T H E S U P P O R T of a f i v e - y e a r $ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 g ra nt f rom t he Oh io Department of Health, Akron Children's Hospital will launch an injury prevention program to pre- vent traumatic brain injur y (TBI) in Summit County children. The cause of TBI in child hood tends to va r y based on age, and the program will address several of the most common causes, such as falls and unsafe sleeping environments for babies and toddlers, bicycle and pedestrian accidents for adolescents, and sports-related head injuries for teens. The grant proposal calls for + The establishment of a multi-disci- plinary injury prevention coalition w it h Sa fe K id s Su m m it Cou nt y a nd other communit y sta kehold- ers focused on the prevention of TBI injuries among children birth through age 18. This coalition will be responsible for the oversight of all grant activities. + The completion of a communit y needs assessment in collaboration with the coalition, specifically iden- tif ying community readiness and gaps in service for injury prevention. + The implementation of "The Injury Prevention Program" (TIPP) of the American Academy of Pediatrics as part of well-child visits throughout seven A k ron Children's Hospita l Pediatrics offices and the hospital's Locust Pediatric Care Group, specifi- cally targeting low-income families. Collaboration w ith loca l govern- m e nt o f f ic i a l s t o p a s s a b ic y c le helmet ordinance in one community in Summit County. Implementation of a social media and marketing campaign to increase awareness of TBI as a result of bike accidents and to increase the use of bike helmets by children. This cam- paign will be combined with a bike helmet give-way in collaboration with Safe Kids Summit County. " T h i s g r a nt t r u l y g i v e s u s t he opportunity to save kids from injury a nd even save lives," sa id Heather Wuensch, d irector of Com munit y Benefit, Advocacy and Outreach for A kron Children's. "Summit County has a number of resources addressing child sa fet y and injur y prevention, but now we will have the funding to bring all of these experts and resources together in a meaningful way to focus on education and the prevention of childhood traumatic brain injury." A n a ssessment of Ohio Trauma Reg ist r y a nd Summit Count y ER data provided rich information used to determine the grant focus. From 2008-2012, Akron Children's provided ca re to more tha n 1,800 children under the age of 18 diagnosed with TBI. The data showed the highest rates of injury were caused by + Falls, 38 percent + Motor vehicle accidents, 13 percent + Sports, 10 percent + Bike accidents, 9 percent + Assault, 8 percent While 31 percent of the falls were simple falls, such as children running and tripping, others occurred in ways that could be prevented as a result of education or other interventions. These include the falls caused by chil- dren falling down stairs (18 percent); off a coach or bed (12 percent); out of a car or bouncy seat (8 percent); out of a shopping cart, wagon, walker or stroller (7 percent); off a counter or changing table (9 percent) or out of a second-story window (6 percent). "A k ron Children's a nd Summit Count y a re well suited to ma ke a difference in preventing TBI," said Wuensch. "We have the clinicians to help kids heal, but also have a wide spectr um of suppor t ser v ices a nd advocacy programs that address the developmental, social, and emotional needs of children who suffer brain injuries. As the saying goes, 'it takes a v i l la ge' a nd ou r v i l la ge is ju st getting started." ■ Akron Children's Receives ODH Grant to Prevent TBI in Kids 1 8 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 4