PREVENT WINDOW FALLS
An Injury Prevention Program Brought to you by OHSU Trauma/Critical Care Service and Pediatric Surgery
Slone Pearson, BS, Richard J Mullins, MD, Mark Silen, MD
OHSU window fall prevention program, Prevent Window Falls, is in its
preliminary stages and currently applying for a grant for funding of the program.
Below you will find our program outline and goals. Brochures, coloring books and
posters are available in PDF format for your use. Details about events and community
outreach projects will be added to this site as the program progresses.
Oregon Health & Science University Trauma/Critical Care Service and Pediatric
Surgery has identified prevention of pediatric window falls as a priority.
In implementing the Prevent Window Falls Injury Prevention Program it is our goal
to reduce window fall-related injuries and deaths for children in Oregon and Southern
Washington. What is so tragic about falls is that they are 100% PREVENTABLE.
PREVENTION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
OHSU and Doernbecher Children's Hospital will implement the
"Prevent Window Falls" Injury Prevention Program
Media Campaign Kick-off
- Invite TV and Radio stations to a window fall prevention kick-off. Elicit support from the mayor or other government officials (i.e. Representative Gardner) and invite them to speak at the media kick-off.
- Run the Eric Clapton Public Service Announcement on TV with a network sponsor. Purchase non-profit organization advertising with TriMet; display prevention posters on trains and busses.
- Request that Home Depot carry window guards; co-sponsor advertisements with them.
Distribution of Bi-Lingual Injury Prevention Materials
- Prevention Strategy Packets including; well-child counseling tips, brochures, posters and
coloring books, will be mailed to all Portland and Vancouver area pediatricians, free of cost,
for office use and distribution to patients and their families.
- Window Safety Display and Brochures to Children's Hospitals, Emergency Departments,
Health Departments and Childcare Centers
- Window Safety Cartoon Presentation at Elementary Schools
Physician and Resident Training
- Training programs for selected pediatric clinics and health department clinics
- prevalence of falls and well-child counseling tips.
- Resident training luncheon at OHSU and Emmanuel - prevalence of falls and well-child
counseling tips.
Compilation of Window Fall Data
- Distribute Child Window Fall Report forms to all Portland emergency departments. Request that any child presenting with a fall from a window be reported to the prevention task force.
- A free window guard will be sent to the family from Guardian Angel Window Guards.
- A window fall registry will be compiled for all of Portland
- High-risk areas can be identified
Efficacy Study
- Continue monitoring OHSU trauma registry and window fall registry for window fall prevalence and
patterns.
TIMELINE
The proposed primary injury prevention campaign will take place ideally during the springtime.
Continued promotion and dispersion of injury prevention materials will take place throughout the year
focusing efforts in the spring and summer months. It is our goal that the campaign will become an
annual project for OHSU and Doernbecher. At the end of the grant period supplemental funding
could be provided by the OHSU Department of Surgery Trauma Education and Research Fund
and/or the OHSU Trauma Program. The compilation of window fall data and efficacy research will be
completed over a two-year period by the injury prevention task force with funding from the OHSU
Department of Surgery Trauma Education and Research Fund.
OUR GOAL
The long-term goal of "Prevent Window Falls" is to have a 90% decrease in window falls over
the next five years. Eventually we can virtually eliminate falls from windows. It is also our
goal to document the efficacy of our original window fall prevention program and share our
success with other cities around the country.
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
Window Fall Injury Prevention recources are available in PDF format. To view them, you'll need
to download and install
Adobe Acrobat Reader if you don't have it already.
English Brochure
Spanish Brochure
Coloring Book
Prevention Poster
For more information email Kelly Smith,
OHSU Trauma/Critical Care Section Manager
Click here for more information on OHSU epidemiology of window falls.
Window Safety
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- Mail Code L604
- Oregon Health & Science University
- 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd
- Portland, Oregon 97239-3098
- Phone: (503) 494-8882
- Fax: (503) 494-4357
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