Injury Prevention Program
The Injury Prevention Program (IPP) at Driscoll Children's Hospital promotes the health and safety of children through a variety of ways, including lectures, individual meetings and education, use of media, and public events.
Topics covered include child passenger safety, bicycle safety, safe babysitting, fire safety, and teenage alcohol awareness and prevention. Educational materials and brochures are available in a variety of safety topics. Most materials are available in English and Spanish.
Projects in the Injury Prevention Program
Child Passenger Safety
The Injury Prevention Program provides training and education to groups and individuals. We train health professionals, parents, students, emergency services, law enforcement, and any other group or individual who requests education. Training can be as short as one hour or as long as four days. We have a team of certified instructors to teach the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Technical Training to certify individuals in the area of child passenger safety.
Child passenger safety information is also provided to the public and private institutions through written materials and videos. You'll find us at health fairs, conferences, and public events. We work closely with many community agencies such as law enforcement, fire departments, health departments, schools, churches, state agencies and other hospitals.
The Injury Prevention Program also sponsors public car seat inspection events. Parents drive into stations we set up at a public place and certified technicians check to see if they have the appropriate seat for that child, the child is secured in the seat properly and the seat is installed in the vehicle correctly. To find out when our next event is, please call 694-6700. We also check individual car seats by appointment at our office. Please call 694-6700 to set up an appointment.
One of the major projects in the IP program is the KYKS (Keep Your Kids Safe) program, an educational child passenger safety program. It is a reporting program that involves the community. Concerned citizens report the license plate numbers of vehicles carrying unrestrained children either by mailing in a postcard, e-mailing the information or calling a hotline. The KYKS program has evoked an overwhelming response from the community. For more information on this program or to learn how to participate, call 694-6700
Teen Alcohol Awareness
We are involved in a program called Shattered Dreams, a teen alcohol awareness program. The program is conducted at a high school and consists of four components: a mock crash, the Grim Reaper pulling students out of class, an overnight retreat, and a school assembly. The crash and the Grim Reaper represent the devastation of teen drinking and driving. The retreat and the assembly bring the out the emotions of all the people involved in the program: students, parents, school staff, volunteers and professionals.
Bicycle Safety
The
Injury Prevention Program provides over 1,000 bicycle helmets to children
in the DCH service area every year. They are provided to groups such as
Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, elementary schools conducting bicycle rodeos,
and afterschool and summer programs. We also provide helmets to patients
in the DCH Emergency Department who have been hurt on a bike. All helmets
are provided with education either from a DCH employee or outside agency
who can provide adequate bicycle safety education, such as law enforcement
or cyclists who have been through a certified bicycle safety course.
I Promise
Educational materials on several other child safety topics can be found in the Injury Prevention Program. Topics include sun safety, poison prevention, fire safety and prevention, home safety, water safety, gun safety, holiday safety, and more.
Contact Information
Injury Prevention Program
(361) 694-6700 or call toll free (866) 886-5957
Fax (361) 851-6880 or email us at kyks@driscollchildrens.org.
Hablamos Español

