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The Injury prevention program at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital was established in 1997 as a combined effort between the Community Pediatrics Program in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University and the Pediatric Trauma Program at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. We have been working to prevent childhood injuries in the Washington Heights and Inwood communities of Upper Manhattan in New York City. By combining the resources of the Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, and a number of community-based organizations, an Injury and Violence Prevention Center (IPV) was established following the model of the highly successful Injury Free Coalition for Kids(R). Today, the program is based out of the pediatric surgery department and continues to deliver community-based injury prevention and is part of the Outreach Core of the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention (CCISP). The CCISP is one of 9 CDC funded Injury Research and Control Centers across the country that are dedicated to research, training and education and outreach.

The goals of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids program at CHONY are to:

  1. decrease the number of injuries, as well as the resultant morbidity and mortality
  2. the children and youth of Washington Heights and Inwood, and
  3. promote safe neighborhoods, activities and improve outcomes for the children of our community.

We have pursued these goals through a variety of educational, service, and research activities including: Safe at Home programs that address safe sleep, shaken baby syndrome, poison prevention, suffocation, burn safety, and falls among others. Car Passenger Safety Education for neighborhood residents in small group or one-on-one training and training of pediatric residents to provide them with invaluable information on how to keep the children and families safe while riding in a vehicle. Stop the Bleed and Hands Only CPR are important programs that empower community residents, businesses and local organizations to act and potentially save a life using only their hands while they wait for medical assistance to arrive. Other programs include pedestrian and bike safety, the safe sitter program and seasonal injury prevention education.

New York (Children's) Directors


Contact Info

DiLenny Roca, MPH, MS, CPS Tech
Injury Prevention Coordinator
New York-Presbyterian
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
dr146@columbia.edu

Jeanne Rubsam
Pediatric Trauma Program Coordinator
New York-Presbyterian
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
jmr19@columbia.edu

Mapping address: 3959 Broadway, New York, NY 10032



Description

The Injury Prevention Program at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital provides first aid classes to community members including the American College of Surgeons STOP THE BLEED® program and the American Health Association Hands-Only CPR program. The Stop the Bleed program has added hundreds of people from this community and the medical center to the over 2.4 million people worldwide who have been trained in bleeding control in severely injured persons. Students, private community residents, nurses, and other professionals have learned to save a life just by using their hands. We work closely with the Columbia University Office of Government & Community Affairs (GCA) to deliver the Hands-Only CPR initiative to the Washington Heights chamber of commerce, NYC School District 6, and Community Board 12. The Stop the Bleed Program has been conducted in large community events such as the annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships to help make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. We have also delivered the program to High School students at the Trailblazers Wellness Walk. Additionally, we have done smaller scaled trainings for students at the Uptown Hub and for the NYP Lang Medical Scholars Program.

Contact Information

DiLenny Roca, MPH, MS, CPS Tech
Program Manager and Outreach Coordinator, Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention – CCISP
Administrator, Injury Free Coalition for Kids
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
dr146@columbia.edu
212-305-6718



Description

Amid the COVID 19 pandemic, children are dealing with another crisis. Firearms, motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, drownings, fires, and a lack of safe equipment and tools are taking their lives. Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children 1-18 years old. Every day, 20 children die from preventable injuries—resulting in more deaths than all other diseases combined. The good news is that many of those injuries are preventable with the use of education, good safety practices, proper equipment, and the implementation of strong legislation.

On November 18th, 2022 the Division of Pediatric Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention (CCISP) at the Mailman School of Public Health will join trauma centers across the nation to launch the country’s first National Injury Prevention Day. We are also inviting the community to participate in scheduled programming coordinated by New York City injury prevention experts

New York-Presbyterian - Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital partnered with the international furniture store Ikea to bring injury prevention resources on home safety to New Jersey residents. Through this event, we developed partnerships with our neighboring State injury prevention agencies. During this event, several agencies came together to serve over 250 families. These included: NJ Poison Control Center, also known as the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES), Safe Kids Essex County led by the New Jersey Trauma Center at University Hospital, Children’s Specialized Hospital, the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services for children facing special health challenges, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Fire Safety. Ikea in Hicksville, NY and Elizabeth, NJ lit up green in acknowledgment of the need for injury prevention programs, research and training, and education. The Gov Mario M. Cuomo Bridge New York and the Hemsley Building (230 Park Avenue) too. It was a great day for Injury Prevention. In addition, injury prevention materials were provided at the Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital emergency room focused on pedestrian safety.

Contact Information

DiLenny Roca, MPH, MS, CPS Tech
Program Manager and Outreach Coordinator, Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention – CCISP
Administrator, Injury Free Coalition for Kids
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
dr146@columbia.edu
212-305-6718



Description

Amid the COVID 19 pandemic children are dealing with another crisis. Firearms, motor vehicle crashes, poisonings, drownings, fires, and a lack of safe equipment and tools are taking their lives. Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children 1-18 years old. Every day, 20 children die from preventable injuries—resulting in more deaths than all other diseases combined. The good news is that many of those injuries are preventable with the use of education, good safety practices, proper equipment, and the implementation of strong legislation.

For this reason, on November 18th, the Division of Pediatric Surgery at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention (CCISP) at the Mailman School of Public Health will join trauma centers across the nation to launch the country’s first National Injury Prevention Day. We are also inviting the community to participate in scheduled programming coordinated by New York City injury prevention experts

New York-Presbyterian - Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center – Virtual Injury Prevention Day Classes on topics throughout the day for parents, grandparents, and children to tune in – Flyer attached and links to register for courses

Contact Information

DiLenny Roca, MPH
Injury Prevention Coordinator
New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Division of Pediatric Surgery
Columbia University Irving Medical Center



Description

Injury Free Coalition for Kids Conference, Workshop Session #2B Saturday, December 3, 2022, 2:50 PM to 4:05 PM

Description: Access to lethal means, such as firearms, are a significant risk factor for adolescent suicide and homicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents in the US. Adolescent suicide death rates have doubled in the past 10 years. Firearms account for 44% of suicide deaths in adolescents and nearly 90% of suicide attempts with a firearm result in death. Most firearm-related suicide deaths involve a weapon that was obtained within the victims household. Medication ingestion is the most common means of suicide attempt. Lethal means counseling often includes discussion with families about access and storage of home medications. Lethal means counseling is one of the few suicide prevention interventions found to decrease suicides. It is based on the concept that reducing access to lethal means of suicide during a time of vulnerability can prevent suicide by decreasing the lethality of attempts. This is of critical importance in adolescence, when the transition from ideation to action is often sudden and unplanned, using the most readily available method to attempt suicide. Data shows that lethal means counseling by providers is acceptable and has potential to affect home access or storage of lethal means.

This workshop will review the existing literature, the JACHO requirements, current applications, and research gaps related to lethal means counseling in the clinical environment. Facilitators will offer an overview of lethal means counseling and discuss relevant studies in the introduction. We will present various screens that can be used in the clinical setting and what interventions are available when patients or parents report access to lethal means.

During break-out sessions our question guide will prompt discussion of topics including: -How your institution conducts lethal means counseling -Under ideal circumstances how would your institution conduct lethal means counseling -What are the limitations to LMC at your institution? We will wrap up with important resources for doing lethal means counseling, including specific training and screenings available.

Objectives: 1) Describe lethal means counseling and some common and novel clinical applications. 2) Understand the existing research and current clinical practice of lethal means screening and counseling. 3) Identify the obstacles and resources available to conduct and implement lethal means counseling in a clinical setting. 4) Discuss the real-world application of lethal means counseling and existing QI and research gaps in small groups.

Contact Information

Ashley Blanchard, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Emergency Medicine
Columbia University Medical Center
New York-Presbyterian | Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital



Description

Contact Information

DiLenny Roca, MPH
Injury Prevention and Outreach Coordinator
NYP/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
Department of Pediatric Trauma
212-305-6718
dr146@cumc.columbia.edu



Description

The New York-Presbyterian, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital hosted a Musical Theater Traffic Safety Show, The Apple Corps, sponsored by The New York City Department of Transportation, Office of Safety Education and Outreach on Monday April 29th, 2019.

During the show, using a series of vignettes, children were taught to make safe choices when crossing streets, bicycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, riding scooters and using safety belts. The show “empowers children to help themselves and others be safe street users and prevent injuries”.

Two interactive musical traffic safety theater shows were attended by approximately 500 neighborhood school children (kindergarten to third grade), their teachers and some parents from the Washington Heights neighborhood. (450 students and 45 teachers for a Total of 495 attendees) were welcomed to the hospital lobby for an interactive, educational experience in the hospital lobby of the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital on April 29th.

Contact Information



Description

Background
Falls are the number one severe injury sustained by children from 0-19 years in Washington Heights, and they are second only to firearms in causing injury fatalities.(1)
Pedestrian injuries are also among the five most common severe injuries. One way to protect children from these severe injuries is to provide them a safe place to play, where a fall will not likely result in a hospitalization, and which provides an alternative to playing in the street. Because of budget cuts and major capital improvements to some buildings in high need, New York City’s Board of Education has been unable to provide schools funding to renovate old, unsafe play spaces. Furthermore, a space shortage has in the past made it difficult for schools to install play equipment. In some cases, this has forced a school to use a local park as its school yard, even though the park’s location across city streets and avenues, safety features, and maintenance the school does not control. In other cases, children have nothing more than a small, open asphalted area in which to play during recess.

We have worked closely with Vanessa Martelli of Universal Play Systems, Inc., and elementary schools to assess their playground usage and available space, and has offered technical assistance to provide schools with a safe playground that matches their needs, even in small spaces. In addition, with the inauguration of each playground, school staff and students alike receive a special presentation on playground safety, and how to use their particular equipment as safely as possible. Playground construction is an ongoing project that heightens injury prevention awareness, involves the community, and, most importantly, provides school children a safe place to play off the street.
(1)M. Durkin, Northern Manhattan Injury Surveillance System Data, 2001.


Inaugurated Playgrounds
PS152M April 30, 2002
PS187M March 6, 2002
Playgrounds Inaugurated in 2005
PS 178 Children's Village

PS 28

PS 128

PS 178

IS 164 (play area renovation)

We continue to look for funding and opportunities to work with our community leaders to build safe play areas for the children of Washington Heights/Inwood.

Contact Information



Description

New York City Safe Kids Coalition
“Walk This Way-Safe Kids Walk”
October 4, 2017

The Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital is a member of the NY City Safe Kids Coalition. NY City Safe Kids is “a coalition of educators, health care professionals and child advocates that is devoted to helping keep children healthy and free from unintentional injuries.” Our catchment area includes Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Safety events are held throughout the year in NY City. “Walk This Way-Safe Kids Walk” was held on October 4, 2017. Sponsored by NYC Safe Kids Coalition, Safe Kids World Wide and Fed-Ex, Walk This Way brings local and national attention to pedestrian safety issues.

With hands raised high and waving large yellow signs saying "STOP for PEDESTRIANS" and "SLOW DOWN" in English and Spanish, approximately 50 3rd grade students from PS 4 on West 160th Street in Upper Manhattan walked down to Access Safety City to learn about pedestrian safety, bike safety and the rules of the road.

Once at Safety City, the eager children participated in classroom and “streetscape” safety activities.

Other School participated in the “Walk This Way” program throughout the week.

Contact Information

DiLenny Roca
Injury Prevention Coordinator
212-305-6718



New Program

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Vincent Pierre Duron, MD

Photograph of Vincent Pierre Duron, MD

Job Title:
Assistant Professor of Surgery at CUMC

Biography:
Dr. Vincent Duron is an Attending Physician in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the NY- Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, New York, NY. He is also Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Duron received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, after which he spent the next several years teaching 4th & 6th grade students in Queens, NY and Moscow. He returned to New York and received his medical degree at the University of Rochester where he graduated with Distinction in Community Service. He completed his general surgery residency at Brown University. During this time he received multiple research and teaching awards, including the Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award. He completed a pediatric critical care fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and completed his pediatric surgery fellowship at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. Throughout his years of training, Dr. Duron performed clinical research leading to the publication of multiple articles in pediatric trauma and global health issues. His interests include general pediatric surgery, the critical care treatment of pediatric surgical and trauma patients, as well as access to surgical care in developing countries. He has been involved in multiple global health projects in Russia, Cameroon, Malawi, Kenya, and most recently is actively developing a trauma registry in Iquitos, Peru. In addition to providing pediatric surgical care to the patients of MCSH, Dr. Duron is the Surgical Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Contact Information

Email Address:
vd2312@cumc.columbia.edu

Phone Number:
212 305 8402

Mailing Address:
New York-Presbyterian
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
3959 Broadway
Floor: 2, Suite: 215
New York, NY 10032


Steven Stylianos, MD

Photograph of Steven Stylianos, MD

Job Title:
Co-Director, Injury Free Coalition for Kids at Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital

Biography:
Dr. Steven Stylianos was educated at Rutgers University and the New York University School of Medicine. He completed his general surgery training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, then spent two years as a trauma fellow at the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute in Boston. Dr. Stylianos went on to complete a pediatric surgical fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He was a member of the pediatric surgical staff at Children’s Hospital of NY-Presbyterian from 1992-2005 and returned to Columbia University in 2013. He is presently the Rudolph N Schullinger Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery. He also serves as the Surgeon-in-Chief of the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Medical Director of the Pediatric Trauma Program.

Dr. Stylianos’ clinical expertise includes pediatric surgery and trauma. He served as Chairman of the Trauma Committee for the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) from 1997-2002 and authored the ASPA position paper supporting all measures to reduce the toll of firearm violence in children. He was also the Co-Principal Investigator of the U.S. Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s grant to APSA “Partnership for Development and Dissemination of Outcomes Measures for Injured Children.” Dr. Stylianos is on the executive board as a founding member of the Pediatric Trauma Society.

Currently, Dr. Stylianos is a site verification officer of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. In 2016 he received the prestigious Champions Award from the American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association. He was also recently recognized by the NY State Division of the American Trauma Society and named the 2016 New York State Trauma Medical Director of Distinction. Dr. Stylianos frequently lectures both internationally and nationwide on pediatric trauma topics including pediatric trauma care and the injured family.

Contact Information

Email Address:
ss128@cumc.columbia.edu

Phone Number:

Mailing Address:


DiLenny Roca, MPH, MS, CPS Tech

Photograph of DiLenny

Job Title:
Injury Prevention Coordinator

Biography:
DiLenny is the Injury Prevention Coordinator for Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at New York Presbyterian/ Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Together with Jeanne Rubsam, Drs. Duran and Stylianos, her goal is keeping the children of the Washington Heights and Inwood communities safe and injury free. Warmer months are dedicated to bike and pedestrian safety. Year-round community education consists of fall prevention, safe sleep, burn, and poison prevention through safe-at-home programs. In addition to training on Stop the Bleed and Hands-Only CPR in partnership with Columbia's Office of Government and Community Affairs. As a certified car passenger safety technician, she provides one on one education to community residents. She also trains pediatric medical residents on CPS. She participates in community outreach through annual events such as Hike the Heights (CLIMB), National Night Out (NYPD), and Trailblazer Wellness Walk (Inwood Early College)

She is proud to bring her passion for injury prevention to Washington Heights and Inwood. As a teen, she enjoyed Highbridge Park, walking through Dyckman and 181st Street with her friends from J. F. Kennedy High School. Now, she helps to facilitate the creation of safer communities for children and families using the Injury Free Model and the A, B, C's of injury prevention.

DiLenny earned a Bachelor of Science from Columbia University, a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and a Master of Community Health Education from Teachers College. She is working on completing an EdD.

She is a wife, a mom to Mateo and BB, and a dog mom to Leo and Oreo.

Contact Information

Email Address:
dr146@cumc.columbia.edu

Phone Number:
212-305-6718

Mailing Address:
Division of Pediatric Surgery
NY Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
Columbia University School of Public Health
3959 Broadway, NY, NY 10032




Jeanne Rubsam, RN, MS, CPNP

Photograph of Jeanne Rubsam, RN, MS, CPNP

Job Title:
Pediatric Trauma Coordinator

Biography:
Jeanne Rubsam, RN, CPNP is the Pediatric Trauma Program Manager for the New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York, NY. Ms. Rubsam graduated from Georgetown University and received a Master’s of Science in Pediatric Primary Care from Columbia University. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and as a pediatric nurse by the American Nurses Association. She is also Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University’s School of Nursing Ms. Rubsam started the Pediatric Trauma Program at MSCH in 1996. In her role as program manager she oversees the coordination of care for all patients admitted to the Pediatric Trauma Service and provides consultation and education on pediatric trauma related issues to the hospital staff, patients and local community. She frequently conducts educational programs on safety issues to school children and parent groups. In 2004 Ms. Rubsam was named New York State Trauma Coordinator of Distinction by the New York State Trauma Advisory Committee and the New York State Division of the American Trauma Society. Ms. Rubsam is both a former President (2006-2008) and Vice President (2013-2015) of the New York State Division American Trauma Society .

Contact Information

Email Address:
jmr19@cumc.columbia.edu

Phone Number:

Mailing Address:
3959 Broadway, Room 215 North
New York, NY 10032


Ashley Blanchard, MD, MS

[photograph here]

Job Title:
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Emergency Medicine Columbia University Medical Center

Biography:
Dr. Ashley Blanchard is a pediatric emergency room physician and Assistant Professor at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She completed her residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. During her clinical training, she obtained a Masters in Biostatistics and Patient-Oriented Research at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Her research focuses on prevention of pediatric injuries and deaths within the high-risk populations she treats in the emergency room. She has a specific interest in suicide and gun violence prevention. Her current work aims to use mobile health technology to reduce adolescent access to lethal means and prevent adolescent suicide. She is currently completing a pilot study investigating the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based lethal means counseling decision aid for parents of adolescents presenting to the emergency department for self-harm or suicidality. Dr. Blanchard also serves as faculty in the Columbia Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence (SURGE). She also works with the Columbia Center for Injury Science and Prevention investigating the unique risks injuries among people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Contact Information

Email Address:
ab3923@columbia.edu

Phone Number:
212 305 8504

Mailing Address:
Ashley Blanchard, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in Emergency Medicine
Columbia University Medical Center
New York-Presbyterian | Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
3959 Broadway
New York City NY 10032


Speaking Availability

Ashley Blanchard is available to answer your group's questions via telephone or e-mail.

Ashley Blanchard is available to travel to speak to your group in person.

Joseph F. Zwarick, MPA, BSN, BSChE

[photograph here]

Job Title:
PI Specialist/Ped. Trauma Registrar

Biography:

Contact Information

Email Address:
jfz9002@nyp.org

Phone Number:
347-714-1951

Mailing Address:
NewYork-Presbyterian
Office: NYP Morgan Stanley CHC201



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