The Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy is one of four injury control research centers (ICRC) nationwide selected for funding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (CDC’s Injury Center). Injury Control Research Centers conduct research in all three core phases of injury control (prevention, acute care, and rehabilitation) and serve as training centers as well as information centers for the public and health professionals. The Hopkins Center was one of the first centers for excellence in injury research funded by the CDC and has been in existence since 1987. The work of the Hopkins Injury Center spans the spectrum of unintentional and intentional injury across the lifespan and across the globe, with a strong focus on translation research as well as education and outreach to promote effective programs and policies. “We are thrilled our 5-year competitive renewal was chosen for funding,” said Andrea Gielen, ScD, Director of the Injury Center. “The funding will allow us to continue our lifesaving work bridging the gap between injury-related research and practice locally, nationally and internationally. On behalf of everyone at the Injury Center, I would like to thank CDC for their continued support.” Dr. Ileana Arias, Director of the CDC’s Injury Center added “Connecting research to communities is a primary focus for CDC and we are pleased to announce the new ICRCs, as well as those renewed. I consider each to be a part of this critical research network. Their work will fill a critical gap and can help shape a better understanding of how to improve the lives of those affected to help them live to their full potential.” In addition to Johns Hopkins, the University of North Carolina was renewed. The two newly designated ICRCs are Brown Center for Violence and Injury Prevention, Washington University, St Louis, MO and Emory Center for Injury Control, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Each will be funded for five years. For more information on the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, please click here.
On Friday, June 26th, the Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore City Fire Department, and the Center for Injury Research and Policy hosted a press conference at the Oldetown Fire Station to raise awareness of childhood injuries. Along with Kira McGroarty, MPH, project director for the CARES Mobile Safety Center, the panel shared helpful tips for preventing accidents in the home, lead poisoning education and fire prevention strategies. The press release can be accessed here. Several Baltimore outlets covered the event, including the Baltimore Sun.
In partnership with CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield and the Baltimore City Fire Department, the Injury Center has launched a city-wide advertising campaign to raise awareness of the Johns Hopkins Children ARE Safe (CARES) Mobile Safety Center. Radio and billboard ads will spread the message that the safety center is available to visit community and neighborhood events to provide free, personalized injury prevention education and low-cost safety products. The ad campaign is scheduled to run for 4 weeks and is the first time the groups have used radio and billboards to promote this unique community resource. Because injuries disproportionally affect low-income families, the ads will be concentrated in neighborhoods with high poverty. “The generous grant from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, which supports our mobile safety center and these outreach activities, allows us to make Baltimore City residents aware that resources are available to communities throughout the city to help prevent injuries,” said Andrea C. Gielen, ScD, ScM, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy. “While injuries are the number one cause of death in childhood through early adulthood, we know that many could be prevented by better access to life saving safety products and effective injury prevention education.” To see the complete press release, please click here.
A new paper authored by Center faculty member Sue Baker, MPH finds that an emergency rule intended to reduce the number of deaths and injuries associated with Hawaiian air tours was followed by a 47 percent reduction in sightseeing crashes. However, the proportion of crashes that resulted in lives lost actually increased after the rule change due to an increase in crashes that resulted from poor visibility, which tend to be exceptionally fatal. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 71 in 1994 in response to a spate of crashes of helicopter sightseeing tours that year. The regulation established minimum flight altitudes and clearances from terrain, emphasized passenger safety precautions, mandated performance plans prior to each flight, and required flotation equipment or the wearing of life preservers on flights beyond the shoreline. “Our data suggest the FAA should reconsider the Rule’s clause that established a minimum flying altitude of fifteen hundred feet, as we know higher altitudes are associated with more cloud cover,” said Professor Susan P. Baker, director of the study’s research and professor with the Injury Center. Clouds obscuring mountain peaks and passes are particularly common in Hawaii. The report is published in the July issue of Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. For the complete press release, please click here.
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