The second annual Injury Prevention and Control Health Impact Awards ceremony was held during the ICEHS dinner. Dr. Grant Baldwin, director of the NCIPC Division of Unintentional Injury, presented the awards to the recipients. The CDC established these awards to:
- recognize efforts in achieving greater health impact in the field of injury prevention;
- promote best practices and success stories in the field of injury prevention and control; and
- demonstrate CDC’s commitment to achieving health impact.
2008 award winners included the Partners for Passenger Safety Program (PCPS) within the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for their work in preventing child injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. The creation of the “gold standard” for data on child occupant protection research and surveillance within the PCPS program has led to it becoming the largest child-focused motor vehicle crash surveillance system in the world.
Safe Kids Georgia was recognized for their work in preventing unintentional injuries in children ages 0-14 within all areas of Georgia. Currently serving 22 local coalitions, Safe Kids Georgia has lowered the unintentional injury death rate through community partnerships, advocacy, public awareness, training and education.
Dr. Frederick P. Rivara, MD, MPH, was recognized for his longstanding and exemplary leadership and contribution to the injury prevention community at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Rivara was instrumental in initiating and proving the hypothesis that bicycle helmet use decreased significant head injuries by 75 percent, and used this information to build a community-based program for the original bicycle helmet campaign that has served as a model for similar programs throughout the United States and the world.