Injury Free Coalition for Kids Gains Momentum

from School Health Reporter, Fall 2004

Preventing falls and keeping kids safe at home and while riding in automobiles are some of the biggest concerns in Fort Lupton.

That’s why the community has made it a priority to teach families how to prevent these injuries. With this in mind, The Children’s Hospital will be working with the community over the next several years to address these safety issues.

In late 2003, The Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute at Children’s received a $160,660 Robert Wood Johnson grant to develop an Injury Free Coalition for Kids (IFCK) in the Fort Lupton community, aimed at reducing and preventing injuries among children, particularly in the migrant and seasonal farm workers residing in the area.  Fort Lupton was selected as the site for the coalition based on the high percentage of preventable injuries and deaths that have occurred in the area in recent years.

Children’s emergency physicians Kathryn Emery, MD, and Glenn Faries, MD, are the co-principal investigators for this three-year grant-funded effort. Together, with an active steering committee of TCH staff members, they have successfully developed a Fort Lupton-based coalition of stakeholders. The coalition includes families, government organizations and local media, and professionals from the education, social services, medical fields and other nonprofit agencies.

A series of free trainings on safety topics conducted in English and Spanish began in June. Pre- and post assessments will be conducted after each training to determine effectiveness and measure results. In addition to conducting local meetings to seek community input on safety and injury-prevention issues and offering training to address these needs, the coalition also has begun disseminating safety information at community events.

Numerous in-kind donations from the community, coupled with recent grants awarded to the coalition by the Hillsdale Fund ($36,000), State Farm ($5,000), Vicksman Trust ($2,000) and Platte Valley Medical Center Community Health Investment Program ($2,000) indicate strong support for this effort to reduce childhood injuries in the Fort Lupton area.

A Parent's Guide to Healthy, Happy Kids! Subscribe to have our quarterly newsletter mailed to your home.

Subscribe to Health eNews, our monthly online newsletter with health information tailored to your family's ages and stages.

Recent News

  • 2008 Parents Magazine Ranking December 29, 2008 Parents Magazine has recognized The Children’s Hospital as one of the United States’ top pediatric hospitals in its inaugural survey, “10 Best Children’s Hospitals.”
  • Wii Donation December 24, 2008 Heads turned as Amy and Bill Brown pulled three red wagons full of Nintendo Wii consoles and Wii games — wrapped with red bows — into The Children's Hospital. Read more about this donation story.
  • Holiday Hugs December 23, 2008 9News performed a live remote at Children’s on Dec. 12 to promote Holiday Hugs, an annual holiday event sponsored by Universal Lending with 27 patients and families from the Medical Day Treatment Center.
  • A Look Back on 2008 December 22, 2008 Read about the highlights and successes 2008 held for The Children's Hospital.
  • Adopt-A-School Book Drive December 19, 2008 The Children’s Hospital participated in book drives, one of its many special Adopt-A-School projects, at Paris and Montview elementary schools.

View More…