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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In greater Denver, Colorado,
injury prevention services historically have been delivered by various
agencies in the medical community and by a variety of non-profit community-based
organizations. Concerned safety and injury prevention advocates recognized
that consolidation of service delivery activities could strengthen prevention
programs and help reduce fatalities and injuries in the Denver community.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Denver
Health Safe Community effort, created in 1999, was to consolidate
injury prevention services in the greater Denver, Colorado community.
Objectives of the project included the following:
- Forming partnerships
between injury prevention advocates and agencies
- Prioritizing prevention
activities
- Focusing on occupant protection
issues, primarily seat belt use and child safety seat use
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In April
1999, a work group of approximately 200 safety advocates, designated
by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, established
the Denver Health Safe Community project. The primary strategy
of the work group was to structure a Safe Communities effort around
a core group of health care agencies and professionals. Once established,
this new group would spread and form partnerships with local community
groups, thereby increasing the reach of the Denver Health Safe
Community project. The Denver Health Medical Center was selected as
the hub for injury prevention activities because of their considerable
resources and their long-standing injury prevention committee.
Activities
undertaken by the group included the following:
- A physician-oriented
Safe Communities poster, Rx for Life: Buckle Up! was designed
and placed in more than 500 medical offices, public health facilities
and physician waiting rooms
- Short-
and long-term injury prevention strategies for youth were developed.
One short- term strategy was the creation of a Power Point computer
show for grades 1 through 12. The show is currently being prepared
for presentation in Denver area senior high schools and will be presented
by a team of registered nurses, medical doctors, paramedics, fire
fighters and police officers
- A medically-oriented
Safe Communities poster was designed and disseminated to more than
500 schools, medical facilities, and neighborhood clinics. The poster,
We Don't Want Your Business!, features medical personnel in
a morgue setting
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