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Imperial Valley Health Advisory Council Takes the Lead on Injury Prevention
by Melody Vela
Injury Prevention Coordinator
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Robin Raecker, Assistant Director of Imperial Valley Public Health Department and Horacio Rodiles, M.D., have an animated discussion. |
The DRIS Community Assessment Data for Imperial County found that unintentional injuries (including accidental poisoning, falls and motor vehicle accidents), which had higher incidence locally than elsewhere in the State of California, were the 5th leading cause of death in Imperial County.
When Robin Raecker, Assistant Director of the Imperial County Public Health Department (ICPHD), learned of a grant opportunity to fund "Injury Prevention," she encouraged the Imperial Valley Health Advisory Council (IVHAC) to apply for the funding. The Council agreed, submitting an application to the California County Medical Services Program (CMSP). Imperial County has an unusually high injury rate, a fact substantiated by the DRIS data report.
In response to Imperial County’s application, CMSP granted one year of funding for community outreach and education. The lead agency, ICPHD, regranted six $5,000 sub-grants to community agencies to implement the prevention activities. The six injury prevention projects are described below.
"Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program" is focused on educating children from ages four to thirteen on safety issues around guns. Recipient is the Holtville Public Library.
Home Safety to Prevent Accidents program includes education and health fairs provided to 100 families of the El Centro First Assembly of God and the Sweet Home Baptist Church congregation and their respective neighborhoods. Recipient is the Sweet Home Baptist Church.
Home Safety Promotion and Light Assistance to Rectify Hazards project is targeted at parent advisory councils, housing authority residents, school site councils and service clubs in Calexico. Its activities include the creation and distribution of safety check lists, discussion of safe storage of hazardous materials, fall prevention, use of safety devices and repair or removal of hazards. Recipient is the Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program.
Pediatric Injury Prevention Program is directed towards the safe operation of motor vehicles, poison control and injury prevention/safety. Educational activities will be conducted by nursing and outreach at the Brawley Unified High School campus, by medical providers in the Brawley Clinic and through radio public services announcements. Recipient is Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, Inc. and Brawley Clinic.
Project SAFE is directed towards parents using un-licensed childcare workers. The project will provide training to parents and exempt childcare workers to minimize safety risks for infants/toddlers and preschool children county wide. Recipient is the Imperial County Office of Education.
Reducing Accidental Poisonings is an educational program to be conducted by hospital nursing and emergency staff through health fairs, school tours of the hospital, classroom presentations, parenting fairs and emergency room discharges. Recipient is the El Centro Regional Medical Center.
Evaluation of the impact of these Injury Prevention Projects will be done in three ways:
- Tracking emergency room codes (E-codes), from the two local hospitals, Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley and El Centro Regional Medical Center;
- Tracking transport logs from local area ambulance companies which are already monitored by the ICPHD; and
- Documenting individual projects on the outcomes of their education, outreach, interventions and other activities.
The IVHAC hopes to be able to continue supporting injury prevention projects in Imperial County through the proposed Imperial Valley Community Health Organization which is under consideration in the DRIS Initiative.