Keeping Our Kids Safe
- Category: Pediatrics
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Preventable injuries are the No. 1 killer of kids in the United States. Every year, 8,000 American families lose a child due to an injury that could have been prevented. Additionally, nearly 7.7 million children are treated for injuries in emergency departments annually.
Safe Kids is a worldwide, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating children and their families on ways to prevent traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Safe Kids San Angelo works with families and communities to share education and keep children safe from preventable injuries.
The Safe Kids San Angelo coalition was formed in 1995 when a local pediatrician, Jane Rider, saw the importance of identifying childhood injuries and how to better prevent them in our community. With the support of San Angelo Community Medical Center as the lead agency, various public safety and public health agencies collaborated to establish a committee and a plan of action focused on reducing preventable injuries in our community. Since the recent acquisition of Community Medical Center, Shannon is proud to serve as the lead organization for Safe Kids San Angelo and further support the important work of this organization.
Safe Kids San Angelo continues to assess community needs and focus on public awareness, education, public policy advocacy and community action.
The partnership is committed to our mission of reducing unintentional childhood injuries by hosting several educational events for the public throughout the year, including:
- Road safety—car seat inspections/installations and seat belt laws.
- Water safety—drowning and the use of proper personal floatation devices.
- Bike safety—helmets and bicycle/pedestrian laws.
- Home safety—falls, fire and burn prevention; poisoning; medication safety; and outdoor play.
Safe Kids San Angelo
Together, we can help prevent childhood injuries. To learn more, call Jamie Harden at 352.947.6130 or email JamieHarden@shannonhealth.org.