According to the American Trauma Society, unintentional injury continues to be a leading cause of death and disability for all age groups throughout the US, with 2022 CDC data ranking unintentional injuries as the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.
Denver Health’s Trauma and Injury Prevention program is proud to provide education, evidence-based programs, and safety resources for residents of Colorado. In doing so, our goal is to increase community-wide safety practices and knowledge and decrease the number of injuries and deaths in our communities.
For more information about Denver Health’s Injury Prevention Program or to schedule any of the following programs, please email Margaret Rose or Krysta Couzi, Injury Prevention Coordinators, at InjuryPrevention@dhha.org
Injury Prevention Programs
Stop the Bleed
Every minute counts in situations where an injured person is bleeding severely, with the potential for them to bleed to death in as little as 5 minutes. The international Stop the Bleed program teaches members of the public how to recognize and control life threatening bleeding to allow enough time for emergency responders to arrive on the scene. This training better prepares members of the public for how to save lives in everyday emergencies, workplace accidents, or natural disasters.
Classes are free and include a presentation as well as hands on portion that allows participants to practice wound packing, direct pressure, and application of a tourniquet. We can hold these trainings in workplaces, schools, and community spaces, and will train these basic principles to all ages, including elementary aged children (with age-appropriate alterations to the presentation). To schedule a Stop the Bleed training, please call 303-602-3179 or email InjuryPrevention@dhha.org.
Child Passenger Safety
Roadway injuries are a leading cause of preventable death and injury among U.S. children, with correctly used child safety seats reducing the risk of death by as much as 71% compared to a seatbelt alone. Unfortunately, more than half of car seats are not installed or used correctly. Our child passenger safety program educates parents and caregivers on the proper use of car seats and best practice to safely drive their child around. Please schedule an appointment here (Book time with Rose, Margaret: Book a car seat installation check or educational session) for any of the following:
- Car seat installation checks: Caregivers can make appointments with one of our car seat technicians to have the installation of their car seat checked and make sure their child is being correctly and safely transported.
- Car seat education and consultations: Caregivers unsure of how to install their car seat or properly secure their child can meet with one of our technicians for a consultation. At their appointment, caregivers will be provided demonstrations for how to properly install the seat, given the opportunity to install the seat on their own, and have any questions answered related to child passenger safety.
Bicycle Safety
Of all bicycle related injuries, injuries to the brain are some of the most common and most highly associated with death. Bicycle helmets have been found to decrease the risk of severe brain injury by up to 88% in addition to decreasing potential facial injuries. We are proud to promote bicycle safety by:
- Supporting local Roll/Bike to Work and School Days in the Denver community by hosting injury prevention booths at local events.
- Maintaining a stock of available bicycle helmets in Denver Health emergency departments, so that patients receiving care for bicycle-related injuries can have their helmet replaced.
- Partnering with community events and organizations to distribute bike helmets at festivals and fitting new helmets to the heads of children and adults to ensure the best fit possible.
Older Adult Falls
According to the CDC, more than one in four adults report falling each year. These falls result in millions of emergency department visits, hospitalizations and injuries such as hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries. To address risk factors related to falling, we provide multiple falls prevention programs to support older adults with varying levels of time commitment. If you’re interested in one of the following options, please call 303-602-3179 or email InjuryPrevention@dhha.org to schedule a program:
- Bingocize: An evidence-based program that combines exercise, health education, and a game of bingo. Our trained facilitators meet with participants twice a week for 10 weeks, with each 45- to 60-minute session consisting of a game of bingo, exercises (range of motion, balance, muscle strengthening, and endurance) and health education questions.
- Stepping on: An evidence-based falls prevention program that allows community members and program leaders to discuss ways to prevent falls and practice balancing and strengthening exercises. This program meets for two hours, once a week for seven weeks and includes group exercises, guest speakers, and group discussion of falls prevention topics.
- Matter of Balance: An evidence-based program intended to reduce fear of falling and improve activity levels among older adults. Meeting for two-hour sessions for eight weeks, this program includes group discussions, role-play activities, home safety, and exercise training.
- Falls Prevention Presentation: Our one-hour presentation provides groups of older adults with the tools they need to prevent future falls. The presentation covers basic facts and causes of older adult falls, home safety tips, topics to discuss with their healthcare provider (hearing/vision changes, balance altering medications), and the role of strength and balance in preventing falls.
Older Adult Driving Safety
Older drivers have been found to be more likely to engage in safety practices, such as wearing seatbelts and driving at the speed limit, compared to younger drivers. However, older drivers are at a greater risk for injury or death in the case of a crash due to their aging bodies in addition to age related factors that affect their driving, such as vision problems or decreased mobility. To address these risks, we offer:
- CarFit: This program is designed to help older drivers find out how well they currently fit with their vehicle and highlight ways they can improve their own fit in order to increase the driver’s safety as well as the safety of others. You can meet one-on-one with a CarFit technician for 30 minutes to go over a 12-point safety checklist that address blind spots, mirror positioning, seat belt fit, steering wheel angling, and more. If you’re interested in scheduling a one-on-one CarFit appointment, you can do so here: Book time with Rose, Margaret: Book a 1-on-1 CarFit Appointment.
Teen Driving Safety
According to 2023 crash data from the Colorado Department of Transportation, teenagers aged 15-19 were involved in an average of 57 car crashes each day. Young drivers often underestimate the risks they face on the road, with the most common traffic citations among teen drivers being speeding, careless driving, and not wearing a seatbelt. Our goal is to educate parents, caregivers, and teens on topics of distracted and impaired driving in order to decrease traffic related accidents and injuries among young drivers. Please call 303-602-3179 or email InjuryPrevention@dhha.org if you’re interested in establishing a teen driving safety program at your school. Our programs include:
- School-based Choose S.A.F.E. programming: Facilitated in partnership with various Colorado injury prevention programs, police, and fire departments, Choose S.A.F.E. is a school-based program that offers resources and guidance to high schoolers to develop peer-to-peer safe driving initiatives. We partner with school resource officers, administrators, and teachers to collaborate with a group of student leaders who assist with the planning and implementation of safe driving programming based on the specific needs of the student population.
- Impact Teen Drivers programming: Denver Health’s Injury Prevention Coordinators are trained to deliver a variety of evidence-based programming through the Impact Teen Drivers nonprofit. These programs and resources emphasize the dangers of reckless driving and importance of good decision making. Programs aim to empower, engage, and educate teens through peer-to-peer messaging within schools.