Safe Kids Worldwide honors Griffin Health for child safety leadership

Safe Kids Worldwide President Torine Creppy, center, presents Griffin Health Community Outreach Special Programs Supervisor Cathi Kellett and Griffin Health Executive Vice President and COO Todd Liu with the Safe Kids Champion for Children Award.

DERBY – Griffin Hospital was recently honored with the Safe Kids Champion for Children Award at the Safe Kids Worldwide International Childhood Injury Prevention Convention (PrevCon) for its outstanding contributions toward preventing childhood injuries.

“Griffin Health is honored to be recognized by Safe Kids Worldwide, which has been an international leader advancing the health and wellbeing of children through its advocacy and programmatic support,” said Griffin Health Executive Vice President and COO Todd Liu. “We are gratified by this award and the acknowledgement of the work being done by Griffin’s many caregivers to fulfill our commitment to provide education and services that advance the safety of all individuals in our community.”

The Safe Kids Champion for Children Award recognizes an individual, business, government agency, or organization that has made a significant impact in the field of child injury prevention.

The award was presented at the three-day gathering that convened more than 600 child health and safety professionals from around the world, including academic researchers, community activists, health care providers, manufacturers, public health and injury prevention practitioners, and policy makers.

More than 20 individuals and organizations were honored for their leadership in the field.

“Griffin Hospital exemplifies what it means to be a true community partner, combining data, strategy, and compassion to make families safer,” said Torine Creppy, president of Safe Kids Worldwide. “We are honored to work with Griffin’s amazing team to advance our shared goal of reducing the risk of preventable injuries to kids.”

Located in Connecticut’s Greater Naugatuck Valley, Griffin Hospital implements evidence-based initiatives such as their Walking School Bus and safe sleep education programs to meet families where they are. Their ongoing commitment to innovation and outreach is improving health outcomes in the community.

“We're humbled to receive this recognition from the nation's largest injury prevention organization," said Cathi Kellett, Griffin Health Community Outreach Special Programs supervisor and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley coalition coordinator. "As part of Griffin's person-centered care, we truly believe that empowering both children and adults with knowledge and tools in a learning-through-play approach helps keeps kids healthy and safe. Our commitment to our community is at the core of everything we do and we are so grateful that our community is so receptive and supportive.

PrevCon is one of the largest gatherings of individuals and organizations dedicated to childhood injury prevention. Preventable injuries are the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable.

About Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to reduce unintentional injuries to children ages 0-14 and build equitable and sustained systems that support injury prevention. Since 1988, Safe Kids and its partners have contributed to a more than 60 percent reduction in the rate of fatal childhood unintentional injury in the U.S. Learn more at safekids.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Griffin, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley to mark International Safe Kids Month

DERBY - In honor of International Safe Kids Month, Griffin Health and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley are partnering to provide tips, resources, and devices to help parents and caregivers keep their kids safe at a time when preventable injuries are on the rise.

There will be a free child safety education event from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. May 22 at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St. offering information on proper car seat installations, including when a child can sit without a booster, water safety, and home safety, and prizes and giveaways. 

Summer often includes exciting outdoor activities, vacations, but it’s also a time known as “trauma season” among health professionals because unintentional injuries and deaths increase dramatically among children. 

According to Safe Kids, 42% of all deaths from unintentional injuries occur during the months of May through August.

“During this time when parents are focused on many priorities at once, Safe Kids Month is a national celebration dedicated to raising awareness about child injury prevention and inspiring parents to focus on proven and practical tips to keep their kids safe, no matter where they live,” said Cathi Kellett, Griffin Health Community Outreach & Parish Nurse Department Special Programs supervisor and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition coordinator.

Preventable injuries are the number one cause of death of children in the U.S., and millions more are injured in ways that can affect them for a lifetime. Unintentional injuries among children ages 1-4 are 1.8 times higher during the summer months compared to the rest of the year. For children ages 5-9 and 10-14, unintentional injuries are 1.5 times higher during this time period.

“Do you have the right car seat for your child’s weight, height, and age? Do you have a fire escape plan and have you practiced it like kids do at school? Are your medicines out of reach? Usually, parents have these items on their “to-do” list, they just find it hard to make it a priority,” said Kellett. “Safe Kids Month is a perfect time to make it happen.”

This free program is part of Griffin’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of its community through free education, guidance and assistance in preventing injuries, and in promoting overall wellness. 

Griffin’s mission is to empower individuals to make choices that change their lifestyles for the better, and to go beyond caring for individuals when they are not well by building a meaningful relationship, guiding, and coaching them to maximize their quality of life.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Griffin Health receives $44,000 grant from Safe Kids Worldwide

 

Safe Kids Worldwide President Torine Creppy, left, recently visited Connecticut to share news of Safe Kids’ Signature Grant for Griffin Health with Cathi Kellett, Griffin Health Community Outreach & Parish Nurse Department Special Programs supervisor and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition coordinator./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Health Community Outreach and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley aim to enhance their child safety programing in the Valley thanks to a $44,000 grant from Safe Kids Worldwide.

Griffin and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley are the first recipients of Safe Kids Worldwide Signature Grant. 

The $44,000 grant is comprised of $25,000 from Safe Kids and $19,000 from State Farm Insurance, which is specifically ear-marked for child passenger safety programs. The Safe Kids Worldwide Signature Grant supports strategic, innovative, data-driven, and sustainable road, safe sleep, and water safety initiatives that help connect, strengthen, and build community alliances.

The grant will help Griffin grow existing community partnerships that offer programs such as pedestrian safety, bicycling safety, summer safety and free child seat safety clinics, and develop community connections to reach new audiences in order to increase the culture of safety in communities where children are at greater risk.

“This grant recognizes Griffin’s and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley’s efforts to use local data to guide its initiatives and collaborate with community partners to ensure the greatest impact while also identifying areas that require further partnerships or injury prevention initiatives to address the community's needs,” said Cathi Kellett, Griffin Health Community Outreach & Parish Nurse Department Special Programs supervisor and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition coordinator. 

“We look forward to better understanding the challenges and gaps in reaching local communities where unintentional injuries are most prevalent. Additionally, we aim to create solutions to address the specific injury prevention needs and share findings and solutions with our network.”

Griffin Health Community Outreach partners with Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley as part of Griffin’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of its community through free education, guidance and assistance in preventing childhood injuries, managing chronic disease, and in promoting overall wellness. 

Griffin’s mission is to empower individuals to make choices that change their lifestyles for the better, and to go beyond caring for individuals when they are not well by building a meaningful relationship, guiding, and coaching them to maximize their quality of life.

About Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is a nonprofit organization working to reduce unintentional injuries to children ages 0-14 and build equitable and sustained systems that support injury prevention. 

Since 1988, Safe Kids and its partners have contributed to a more than 60 percent reduction in the rate of fatal childhood unintentional injury in the U.S. Learn more at safekids.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Griffin Hospital in Derby to host 'Safe Sleep for Your Baby' sessions

DERBY - Griffin Hospital will host two information sessions on Safe Sleep for Your Baby. 
They will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 and Feb. 26 in the Childbirth Center at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St. 
Parents and caregivers will learn about safe sleep practices, myths, and facts for infants under 1 year of age.  
Door prizes, raffles, and educational materials will be provided.

Registration is required by calling 203-732-1337 or email ckellett@griffinhealth.org.

This information is shared from the hospital's events calendar.

Griffin Hospital in Derby to hold Child Passenger Safety 101

Griffin Health and SafeKids Greater Naugatuck Valley will host Child Passenger Safety 101 Nov. 6 at Griffin Hospital./Contributed photo

DERBY - Griffin Health and SafeKids Greater Naugatuck Valley are offering free training on how to make sure children are safe when traveling in cars.

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator Cathi Kellett, MA CPST-I, SN-I, will host “Child Passenger Safety 101” Nov. 6 at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St.

There will be a session from 6-7 p.m. on general child passenger safety and a session focused on passengers with special needs from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Both sessions will provide information about the importance of child safety seats and crash dynamics, infant seats and rear-facing convertibles, forward-facing seats, including combination seats, booster seats and seat belts, and aftermarket products and objects in the car.

To register, email Cathi at ckellett@griffinhealth.org by Nov. 1.

About Safe Kids

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. 

Its members include local police, fire, EMS, schools, LNV Boys & Girls Clubs, TEAM Headstart, Derby Elks, and APW. Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. 

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley was founded in 2004 and is led by the Griffin Hospital Valley Parish Nurses. 

For more information, visit safekids.org.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital. 

Derby Police to hold child car seat safety clinic today

DERBY - The Derby Police Department is hosting a free event to promote child car seat safety as part of Child Passenger Safety Week from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today (Saturday). 
The department is at 125 Water St.
During the event, parents and caregivers can come to the police department for an educational inspection and demonstration to ensure that any car seats in your vehicles are properly installed.


This is shared from the Derby PD Facebook page. 

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Griffin Hospital in Derby to host free talk on child safety

The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital will host a talk about child safety July 31./ Contributed photo

DERBY - The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital will host a free talk about child safety at 10:30 a.m. July 31.

Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley Coalition Coordinator Cathi Kellett will present “Keeping Your Kids Safe,” a discussion about water safety, car seat safety, and poison prevention (medication safety).

This program is part of a series of free, educational forums hosted by the Community Health Resource Center in an effort to help improve the health of the community. 

To register or for more information, call Kerry or Deborah, 203-732-7399.

The hospital is at 130 Division St. 

The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital is a traditional library that provides an array of medical and health information, including a large collection of easy to read health and lifestyle related materials. The Center is open to the public to educate themselves on ways to enhance their well-being, prevent illness and play an active role in decisions about their health.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.