As part of NIPD 2023, Parachute invited hospitals across Canada to raise awareness about the importance of injury prevention to the health-care system.
Why injury prevention is important for hospitals
The Cost of Injury in Canada report shows that, in one year, preventable injuries from collisions, falls, poisonings, drownings and violence cost the Canadian healthcare system $29.4 billion. That’s $56 million per day. Direct costs – costs incurred by hospitals for medical supplies, diagnostic imaging, drugs, ambulance transportation, emergency care costs, hospital care costs, physician services fees and rehabilitation costs – make up the vast majority at $20.4 billion.
While hospitals treat injuries after they happen, medical centres have a key role to play, as well as a vested interest, in preventing injuries from happening in the first place. Think of how many patients who have suffered a preventable injury fill your trauma and emergency departments, along with other units. We are stronger together.
NIPD brings an opportunity for us to shine a light on the preventability of injuries. It’s a chance to come together across disciplines to raise awareness that we have effective solutions to keep people from getting seriously injured or killed and to stop them from needing hospital/trauma services.
Participating hospitals in 2023 include:
Child Safety Link @ IWK Health (Nova Scotia)
- Participated in social media campaign leading up to and on National Injury Prevention Day, with a variety of shares and posts on social pages of IWK Health and Child Safety Link (the IWK’s children’s injury prevention program) and outreach to local media outlets
- Promoted NIPD on The Link Community of Practice (a CoP run by Child Safety Link for children’s injury prevention professionals and advocates)
- Posted injury prevention posters in the Emergency Department and on the screen system throughout Health Centre complex.
Royal Victoria Regional Health (Barrie, Ontario)
We sent a memo to all of TEAM RVH along with a screensaver sharing some quick facts about injury prevention. On July 5, our Trauma Co-ordinator set up a booth to inform staff and promote our injury prevention initiatives (Stop the Bleed and P.A.R.T.Y.). We have recently been designated a Level III Trauma Centre and are building our program.
Guelph General Hospital (Guelph, Ontario)
Our communications team shared injury prevention information via social channels, staff intranet, and Hospital newsletter on July 5 and injury prevention posters were displayed in the emergency department waiting room.
London Health Sciences Centre (London, Ontario)
The hospital atrium was lit green and many staff wore green. We took a large staff photo.The London Knights (OHL hockey team) mascot and their mascot Scorzy were scheduled to attend and their colours are green. Additionally, we planned to have Dr. Beary Good, our Children’s Hospital mascot, out wearing green.
The Injury Prevention team was present in the atrium, with a booth with games and giveaways, to test patients, families and staff members’ knowledge.
Sick Kids Hospital (Toronto, Ontario)
- We were very active with a social media campaign including twitter “Did you know?” posts and Instagram call out to our staff and patients & families to share images doing something safely.
- We had a display in our Family Centre with injury prevention and poison prevention resources and information, including some great videos and a fun injury prevention activity for a ballot to enter a draw for one of three donated bike helmets.
- We used our internal public hospital screens to promote NIPD and direct people to visit our Sick Kids social media platforms and NIPD display in our Family Centre.
- We posted on our internal hospital Daily News promoting NIPD.
- We had a contest between our trauma and surgical units to wear green in support of NIPD and to submit pics doing something safely to our Instagram page.
- We had a colouring/activity page delivered on all our lunch meal trays to inpatients and shared with our Child Life Specialists for any patients that may not receive a meal tray.
- We had a fun Injury Prevention kahoot trivia game on our internal SickKids SKOOP TV channel.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario)
Post on social channels to highlight burden of injury and to promote Stop the Bleed. Additionally we hosted a staff and student photo contest to celebrate summer fun that includes elements of safety.
Royal University Hospital, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
We co-ordinated with the Staff Safety Specialists and site leaders regarding activities at all three sites: Royal University Hospital, Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital.
Foothills Medical Centre (Calgary, Alberta)
Slides with local injury data and prevention resources to be displayed throughout the hospital.
Stollery Children’s Hospital and University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta)
We had a display booth outlining the types of injury we see at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Members of our Trauma group wore green t-shirts that say “National Injury Prevention Day”.
Also, the City of Edmonton lit up the High level Bridge in green; Edmonton’s TELUS building and HUB mall, on the University of Alberta campus, was also lit up green.
In our hospital, we had a draw where people have to enter a safety practice and they could potentially win a bicycle helmet.
Grand Prairie Reginal Hospital (Grande Priairie, Alberta)
The hospital lit up its sun dial green and promoted wearing a green shirt on July 5.
It partnered with Safe Communities and other local sectors to provide Injury prevention Information and swag for bags to be provided to our pediatric patients visiting the Emergency Department and admitted to our local hospital.
Medicine Hat Regional Hospital (Medicine Hat, Alberta)
Medicine Hat Regional Hospital partnered with our local Health Promotions Faciliator to
- light up Saamis Teepee green
- proclamation signing with Medicine Hat’s Mayor
- place Parachute and local posters throughout the site with statistics and information about NIPD
- site-wide email to all staff advocating for NIPD, encouraging staff to wear green and participate in social media advocacy
- buttons provided for staff to wear the day of
Victoria General Hospital (Victoria, British Columbia)
The hostpital hosted a table in the foyer to increase awareness about injury prevention, with the staff running the booth wearing green T shirts.