The Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma (CIPT) at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has partnered with hospitals across North Carolina to analyze and report on the recognition and care of injured children.
The project is studying the care of injured children in emergency departments with the Pediatric Emergency Care Facility Recognition Program. Under this program, states must follow guidelines that identify key resources and levels of expertise in emergency departments that treat injured children.
“Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children beyond the age of one,” said Wayne Meredith, M.D., executive director of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, Richard T. Myers professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “The majority of the care provided to injured children occurs outside of pediatric trauma centers or pediatric hospital emergency departments. Numerous studies have identified deficiencies in equipment, training and treatment approaches in non-pediatric hospitals.”
The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (DHHS-HRSA) awarded a $900,000, three-year grant to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for the project. It was developed in response to a targeted need by Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C) to improve the health infrastructure and systems of care for injured children.
"Progress in the fight against pediatric injury will come in many different forms,” said John Petty, M.D., assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and director of Pediatric Trauma at Brenner Children’s Hospital. “While scientific discoveries and new technologies are desperately needed, one of the most important things we can do right now is to provide our current optimal care to more children, earlier after their injury, with undaunted reliability. This project is a significant step toward that goal."
Injury is among the most unrecognized of public health problems. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children 1-19 years of age die from injuries than all other causes combined. In addition, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports that, on average, one child out of 10 is treated for a non-fatal injury in U.S. hospital emergency departments each year.
“It is important to understand the benefits of specific pediatric emergency capabilities in treating children,” says Meredith. There is a clear need to design emergency care systems that are more effective and improve outcomes for injured children.”
Approximately 20 hospitals in North Carolina and Delaware will participate in the study, including:
From North Carolina:
Annie Penn Hospital
Ashe Memorial Hospital
Wake Forest Baptist Health-Brenner Children’s Hospital
Forsyth Medical Center
High Point Regional Health System
Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital
Iredell Memorial Health System
Wake Forest Baptist Health-Lexington Medical Center
Cone Health
Northern Hospital of Surry County
Thomasville Medical Center
Wilkes Regional Medical Center
Watauga Medical Center
From Delaware:
AI Dupont Children’s Hospital
Bayhealth – Kent General
Bayhealth – Milford
Beebe Medical Center
Christiana Medical Center
Nanticoke Hospital
St. Francis Hospital
Wilmington Hospital
CIPT is working on the project with collaborators at the American College of Surgeons, State Emergency Medical Services offices, Emergency Medical Services for Children Program managers, and national experts in pediatric injury recognition and care. This study was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Emergency Medical Services for Children Program through grant number H34MC19350.
The project is studying the care of injured children in emergency departments with the Pediatric Emergency Care Facility Recognition Program. Under this program, states must follow guidelines that identify key resources and levels of expertise in emergency departments that treat injured children.
“Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children beyond the age of one,” said Wayne Meredith, M.D., executive director of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, Richard T. Myers professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “The majority of the care provided to injured children occurs outside of pediatric trauma centers or pediatric hospital emergency departments. Numerous studies have identified deficiencies in equipment, training and treatment approaches in non-pediatric hospitals.”
The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (DHHS-HRSA) awarded a $900,000, three-year grant to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for the project. It was developed in response to a targeted need by Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C) to improve the health infrastructure and systems of care for injured children.
"Progress in the fight against pediatric injury will come in many different forms,” said John Petty, M.D., assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and director of Pediatric Trauma at Brenner Children’s Hospital. “While scientific discoveries and new technologies are desperately needed, one of the most important things we can do right now is to provide our current optimal care to more children, earlier after their injury, with undaunted reliability. This project is a significant step toward that goal."
Injury is among the most unrecognized of public health problems. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children 1-19 years of age die from injuries than all other causes combined. In addition, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports that, on average, one child out of 10 is treated for a non-fatal injury in U.S. hospital emergency departments each year.
“It is important to understand the benefits of specific pediatric emergency capabilities in treating children,” says Meredith. There is a clear need to design emergency care systems that are more effective and improve outcomes for injured children.”
Approximately 20 hospitals in North Carolina and Delaware will participate in the study, including:
From North Carolina:
Annie Penn Hospital
Ashe Memorial Hospital
Wake Forest Baptist Health-Brenner Children’s Hospital
Forsyth Medical Center
High Point Regional Health System
Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital
Iredell Memorial Health System
Wake Forest Baptist Health-Lexington Medical Center
Cone Health
Northern Hospital of Surry County
Thomasville Medical Center
Wilkes Regional Medical Center
Watauga Medical Center
From Delaware:
AI Dupont Children’s Hospital
Bayhealth – Kent General
Bayhealth – Milford
Beebe Medical Center
Christiana Medical Center
Nanticoke Hospital
St. Francis Hospital
Wilmington Hospital
CIPT is working on the project with collaborators at the American College of Surgeons, State Emergency Medical Services offices, Emergency Medical Services for Children Program managers, and national experts in pediatric injury recognition and care. This study was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Emergency Medical Services for Children Program through grant number H34MC19350.
Media Relations
Paula Faria: pfaria@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1279