Injury Prevention

Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death in the United States, from early childhood through middle age. From a motor vehicle crash to a child's fall on a playground, trauma affects us all.

The Injury Prevention Program at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital's Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center is dedicated to the prevention of these unintentional injuries and deaths. To this end, we participate in research and provide comprehensive safety education and training for all age groups. Our goal is to keep the residents of Central New Jersey safe on the road, at home and at play.

RWJ has been the lead agency for Safe Kids Middlesex County, the local coalition of Safe Kids Worldwide, for 10+ years. Safe Kids Worldwide is a global organization dedicated to protecting kids from unintentional injuries, the #1 cause of death to children in the United States. Safe Kids Middlesex County is one of more than 600 grassroots coalitions in 20 countries. We bring together a cross-section of community leadership including: health and safety experts, law enforcement, firefighters and emergency medical personnel, educators , parents, youth, local businesses, public policymakers and media to educate and protect families.

What We Do

We work to act in several important ways; through a combination of education, research, advocacy, and environmental change. All of these strategies work together to ensure that we reach as many individuals and families as possible with the information and resources they need to stay safe. Our programs and resources are grouped by the places injuries happen – at home, at play or on the road. Educational workshops and trainings are available for all age groups - for community-based organizations, youth groups, professional associations, and schools throughout Central NJ, and can be tailored for your specific audience.

To learn more or to schedule a presentation for your group, please email diana.starace@rwjbh.org.

You can learn more about these topics by checking out the risk areas below.

At Home

At Play

On The Road

County- Wide Programs and Events

Sports Safety Program

(732) 418-8093

As part of our RWJ Injury Prevention Program outreach, we offer sports safety workshops which empower school staff, volunteer youth coaches, and parents to create a safer sporting environment and culture for youth athletes. The clinics cover topics including sports injury prevention, annual pre-season physicals, how to care for an injured or ill athlete until EMS personnel arrive, appropriate gear and equipment, and proper hydration and are presented by a qualified and trained professional from our team We also have concussion prevention and screening programs which provide educational workshops on concussions and other sports related injuries for students, athletes, coaches, faculty, parents, and health care professionals.

The program also features ImPACT testing for student athletes: ImPACT is used by the NFL, NHL, and MLB and is the most widely used and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system. The RWJ Sports Safety Team includes pediatric physicians who specialize in concussion management, and are qualified to interpret the ImPACT test results - one of the many tools used to determine appropriate treatment and “return to learn and play” protocols for concussed patients.

By raising awareness and increasing the knowledge levels of parents, coaches, school nurses and youth athletes about prevention and recognition of sports injuries and emergencies, these clinics aim to keep kids in the game for life.

Safety Ambassador Program

  • NJM Insurance Group

  • Provident Bank

  • Investors Bank

  • Bristol-Myers Squibb

Our Sponsors

This program, now in its 11th year, links local high school students with 1st and 2nd graders in Middlesex County to provide educational presentations in the areas of injury prevention and safety. The effectiveness of this teaching method is measured through pre- and post-tests and presentation evaluations. This is an opportunity for high school students to volunteer in a leadership capacity and act as role models for younger children in their community. The program makes use of the National Fire Protection Association’s Risk Watch curriculum, supplemented with materials from Safe Kids Worldwide (www.safekids.org).

In order to determine the effectiveness of this program in reducing unintentional childhood injuries, a long-term research study has been implemented to collect data from parents of elementary school children participating in the Safety Ambassador Program regarding rates and types of injuries, at home, at play and on the road.

Safety Ambassador Program
Safety Ambassador Program Results 2013-2014
View the 2019 Safety Ambassador Presentation Schedule.

Central Jersey High School Traffic Safety Challenge (#CJHSTSC)

Central Jersey High School Traffic Safety Challenge (#CJHSTSC)Distractions are the #1 cause of teen crashes in NJ, second is speed. It is estimated that every eleven minutes a teen crashes in NJ and for those who are killed in crashes, over 50% are unrestrained. New Jersey has a strong primary seat belt law which was recently amended to include back seat passengers age 18 and over. However, we still see many teenagers riding unrestrained. Education for teen drivers and their parents is the key to reducing these crashes and fatalities.

The goal of the “High School Traffic Safety Challenge” is to increase restraint use and improve safe driving practices among young drivers in Central Jersey. Local high school SADD chapters (Students Against Destructive Decisions) provide the leadership for this peer-to-peer campaign. Injury Prevention Coalition members and transportation safety advocates statewide volunteer their support, providing presentations, information and education for participating high schools. Solid program evaluation measures are available through seat belt observations, before and after the campaign.

Schools are recognized at the completion of the campaign at an Awards Breakfast held at RWJ.

Safety Resources/Links

Patient Stories

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