United Regional’s Trauma Services Department is involved in a variety of programs to provide education about ways to keep children and each other safer, as well as ways to prevent injuries. United Regional also is a resource for injury prevention by serving as a clearinghouse for injury prevention brochures, posters and coloring books.
Save-A-Life Coalition of North Texas
The Save-A-Life Coalition is now a subcommittee of the Public Information and Education Committee of the North Texas Regional Advisory Council (RAC) for Trauma Service Area-C. This coalition consists of representatives of law enforcement, the medical community, rural public health nurses, fire department, the RAC, local universities, area school districts and Sheppard Air Force Base (SAFB). This group continues to assess the reasons for injuries and deaths in our “community,” defined as Trauma Service Area-C. The Coalition addresses the needs with information exchange among agencies, and provides implementation and coordination. The Coalition meetings are held at United Regional.
Child Passenger Safety Checks
Child Passenger Safety checkpoints are routinely conducted in Wichita County and surrounding counties, in cooperation with United Regional, the North Texas Emergency Nurses Association, the Injury Prevention Coalition of North Texas, Wichita Falls Police Department, Wichita County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety, SAFB, and the RAC. In addition, United Regional has had its own Check Station since June 2004.
Senior Citizen Safety
Injury prevention education of Senior Citizens is conducted by the Trauma Educator to include areas of focus such as fall precautions, taking medications safely, and special concerns regarding driving as we age.
Stop the Bleed
United Regional is very active in the Stop the Bleed program. This international program was created to teach lay people basic steps to identify and control life threatening bleeding in an injured victim until help can arrive. United Regional along with NTRAC are very proud to say we have trained over 3,000 students this course and were instrumental in training the majority of schools in our nine-county region. These courses can be held for small or large groups by reservation only.
Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. United Regional hosts drug take back events twice a year. These events are advertised on local media, social media and on our website.
Mature Driver Program
The Mature Drive Program is a safety injury prevention program for adult drivers ages 55 and older. The program, which is a collaboration between United Regional Trauma Services and the Texas Department of Transportation, strives to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities among adult drivers.
The program offers several educational opportunities to help educate drivers and make them aware of potential hazards. The program cannot suspend or terminate a driver’s license. Program topics include the impact of aging on driving skills, traffic issues, driving behaviors of mature drivers, warning signs of an unsafe driver, and how to talk to a loved one about safety concerns.
CarFit For Mature Drivers
Older drivers are most likely to wear their seat belts and not speed or drink and drive. But they are also more prone to be seriously injured or killed in a crash. These drivers can improve their safety by ensuring their cars are properly adjusted for them. At a CarFit event, a team of trained technicians work drivers to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. Each CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To scheduled an individual CarFit or to host an event, call the Mature Driver Program at 940-764-3088.
Contact us to host an event
For more information on any of our community events, please contact Laura Pressler, RN, TCRN, Injury Prevention Outreach Coordinator, at 940-764-3088 or lpressler@unitedregional.org.