As an American College of Surgeons (ACS) verified Level 1 Trauma Center, Hartford Hospital is responsible for conducting injury prevention activities.
To do this, the Injury Prevention Center (IPC) utilizes a multidisciplinary team:
- Doctors
- Physician assistants
- Nurses
- Social workers
- Research scientists, associates and assistants
- Program specialists, coordinators and assistants
- Expert consultants
Our expertise and experience cover a wide range of biopsychosocial perspectives that influence injury:
- Medicine
- Medical Anthropology
- Epidemiology
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Social Work
- Community Health Education
- Nursing
- Law
The Program
The mission of the Injury Prevention Center (IPC) is to reduce unintentional injury and violence among Connecticut residents by translating clinical and community-based research into programs and policies. Approaching injury prevention from a population-based, public health perspective means that we design and study interventions that can impact entire communities’ health and safety.
The IPC has four core activities:
Why Injuries?
Injury is the leading cause of death for Americans 1-44 years old. Hartford Hospital’s Trauma Center cares for about 2,000 patients a year with minor to severe, life-threatening injuries. Motor-vehicle crashes including occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as falls, burns, poisoning, drowning, violence, and sports-related injuries, are some of the most common injuries our trauma center treats. Everyone knows someone that has been injured.
Injuries are not accidents – they are predictable and preventable.
Our History
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2020, the Injury Prevention Center is proud of its contribution to the reduction of injuries and death among children and adults in Connecticut. In 1990, leaders at Hartford Hospital had the vision to establish a dedicated Injury Prevention Center within the Department of Pediatrics to reduce unintentional injury and violence among Connecticut’s children and adolescents. In 1996, the IPC became an integral program of Connecticut Children’s mission to improve the health and safety of the state’s children.
In 2006, the Trauma Institute was established between Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children’s to enhance trauma care services for children and adults. At the outset, injury prevention was identified as an important component of the Trauma Institute.
In 2007, the IPC re-established its presence at Hartford Hospital by formally resuming injury prevention work among the adult population in support of the Trauma Institute.
Today, IPC staff have presented at over 100 conferences and published over 65 peer-reviewed academic journal articles. IPC staff from Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children’s closely collaborate to serve individuals and families across the lifespan.