Division of Injury & Violence Prevention News
April 3, 2006

The Division of Injury & Violence Prevention's (DIVP) E-Newsletter provides
an update of events, news, and developments in injury and violence
prevention. Most items are linked to websites, including DIVP's website, for
more detail.

Calendar Notes

· 2-Day Injury Prevention Network Regional Meeting and Training Event!

The Virginia Department of Health, Division of Injury and Violence
Prevention in collaboration with the Virginia Governor's Office of Public
Safety, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Virginia Fire and Life
Safety Coalition are pleased to offer a FREE 2-day meeting and training
program exclusively for Injury Prevention Network (IPN) members. Join us at
any one of the following locations to update your knowledge "database" and
to increase your professional skills:

Richmond-April 4 & 5 or Harrisonburg-May 16 & 17
For more information, visit
http://www.vahealth.org/civp/community/training.asp

· National Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training will be
conducted May 23 - 26, 2006 in Fort Lee, Virginia. For additional
information contact Marcia Franchok-Hill at 804-864-7737 or visit the
Calendar of Events link at www.safetyseatva.org

· DIVP to Sponsor the first statewide Train-the-Trainer conference on
the Health Care Response to Victims of Intimate Partner Violence!
Save the Date! On September 20, 2006, the Division of Injury & Violence
Prevention (DIVP) will sponsor a Train-the Trainer conference on Health Care
Response to Victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) at the Omni Hotel in
Charlottesville, Virginia. The morning session will feature a keynote
presentation by Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN, a published author and
recognized expert in the field of violence against women. In the afternoon,
attendees will participate in train-the-trainer workshops on the RADAR
curriculum, a program designed to educate health care professionals on
identifying and responding to victims of IPV in their patient populations.

Registration information will be posted to the Project RADAR* website
(www.projectradarva.com ) as it becomes available. Space is limited, and
registration preference will be given to pairs/teams of advocates and health
professionals that apply together. *Project RADAR: R--Rountinely inquire
about current and past violence A--Ask direct questions D--Document findings
A--Assess safety R--Review options and referrals

Injury and Violence Research and Data News

· The Division of Injury and Violence Prevention has developed the
Virginia Online Injury Reporting System (VOIRS). This publicly available
database contains information about injury related deaths and
hospitalizations occurring between 1999 and 2004. Users can create their own
queries and reports on the different injury mechanisms that contain a
variety of demographic variables. Reports are available at several different
geographic levels. Age-adjusted rates are also calculated so that
information can be compared to areas outside of the Commonwealth. Please
visit VOIRS at: http://www.vahealth.org/CIVP/VOIRS

· The Injury in Virginia 2004 Report on injury related deaths and
hospitalizations is now available. This year, there is a section on injuries
and deaths that occur due to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The report
contains both crude death and hospitalization rates, as well as age-adjusted
rates that can be used to compare Virginia to the US and other locations.
This report can be downloaded at:
http://www.vahealth.org/civp/InjuryInVirginia%202004.pdf

· A Fact Sheet on Preventable Injuries to School-aged Children
http://www.vahealth.org/civp/educator/School%20Aged%20Children%20Fact%20Shee
t%2001232006.pdf

News and Information

· Combination Booster Seats are now available from the Low Income
Safety Seat Distribution and Education Program
Combination booster seats are currently being introduced into the program as
another type of free give-a-way child restraint. Children through age five
who meet the eligibility criteria and fit within the manufacturer's
guidelines for the booster seat will be eligible. The program's booster seat
has a high back with internal harnesses that can be used to transport
children up to 40 pounds. When the child exceeds 40 lbs or has outgrown the
harnesses by height, the seat can be converted into a belt-positioning
booster and used to transport children up to 100 pounds. This expansion of
the program is an effort to provide more children with safe transportation
and thereby preventing these children from being prematurely graduated into
only a vehicle safety belt system. For additional information call the
Division of Injury and Violence Prevention information line at
1-800-732-8333 or visit http://www.safetyseatva.org

· Buckle-Up Challenge for Schools
The 2006 Buckle-Up Challenge is under way. The information packets have been
sent to all Virginia High Schools. This year's Challenge dates will be May
14th - June4th, 2006. There is a new challenge this year, a 30 second public
service announcement contest promoting seat belt usage and safety. We are
asking for one entry per school and the entry can be from either one student
or a team of students. The videos are due by April 28th, and will be voted
on by a panel of judges. The top three videos will be posted on the CIVP
website www.safetyseatva.org for the week of May 7th - 13th to be voted on
by the public. The winning video will be announced during the Buckle-Up
Challenge on May 17th. The winner(s) will receive $500 for first place, $300
for second place, and $150 for third. The surveys are still the major part
of the Challenge, the pre-survey should be completed before the school
promotes seat belt safety and then the post survey should be completed after
the week of promoting. All schools with a 70% or higher usage rate will
receive an award. Each packet included activity ideas to help with promoting
seat belts. Please use the link on our website to download a packet that
includes entry forms, survey forms, and activities for the schools. If you
have any questions please contact Tobey Allen (804) 864-7747 or
Tobey.Allen@... .

· New Permanent Fit Stations for Child Safety Seat Inspections
The Virginia Department of Health has just finished updating all of our
Permanent Fit Stations for child safety seat inspections. Virginia now has
eighty-four(84) locations which include nine(9) new locations Alexandria
CARES, Fairfax City Police, Fairfax County Operations Support, Fairfax
County Police Sully District, Franklin Fire Department, Norfolk Fire and EMS
two(2) stations, Petersburg Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, Virginia
Beach Fire Department twenty(20) fire stations, and Richmond Fire
Department. For a complete list of permanent fit stations please see our
website www.safetyseatva.org click on "Safety Seat Inspections". Thanks to
all of our new permanent fit stations for working to keep Virginia's
children safe.

· April is Sexual Violence Awareness Month. Order free brochures and
videos from VDH on teen dating violence and sexual assault at
www.vahealth.org/civp/sexualviolence

· Training for Health Care Providers
A standardized and comprehensive one-hour speciality-specific curriculum on
intimate partner violence for health care providers has been developed.
Providers interested in receiving this training at their practice or
institution should contact DIVP to schedule a time. DIVP also offers
training programs, educational materials, and consultation services on a
variety of specific topics related to intimate partner violence.
http://www.vahealth.org/civp/projectradarva/training.asp

· Health Smart Virginia Web Site for Educators
The Health Smart Virginia Web Site offers instructional resources for
Virginia educators that supports the Health Education Standards of Learning.
The site features:
§ Curriculum Resources (including instructional resources,
sample lesson plans,
assessment ideas, and more)
§ Health & Safety Topics
§ Health & Safety News
§ Grant Alerts
Visit www.healthsmart.va.org
Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Department of
Health and Prince William County Public Schools

· Advisory Group Convened to Develop Model Hospital Policy on Intimate
Partner Violence
In an effort to provide assistance to Virginia's hospitals to identify and
respond to victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), the Medical Outreach
initiative at DIVP convened an advisory group to develop a model policy.
This multi-disciplinary group, made up of health care, research, advocacy,
and administrative professionals from throughout the state, met for the
first time in February. The goal of the group is to create a framework from
which hospitals can evaluate how well their policies respond to IPV victims,
based on "best practice" standards as well as standards set forth by the
Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
When the group has completed its work, tentatively by early this summer, the
policy will be disseminated to hospital administrators throughout the state.
Although implementation of the model policy is not compulsory, the hope is
that it will be perceived and used as a valuable resource for reviewing and
assessing existing policies on IPV and making any changes that may enable
the most effective response to victims in the healthcare setting.

The advisory group is seeking feedback from hospital/healthcare
administrators throughout the policy development process. If you are
interested in becoming an advisory group member or in giving feedback to the
group's work for the next several months, please contact Laurie Crawford at
804-864-7705 or laurie.crawford@...

About the Division of Injury & Violence Prevention
The Division of Injury & Violence Prevention, formerly known as the Center
for Injury & Violence Prevention (CIVP), is a division of the Virginia
Department of Health that focuses on the prevention of unintentional,
intentional and self-inflicted injuries. Our strategies for prevention
include research & assessment, policy development, training and community
education, promotion and dissemination of safety devices, public information
and funding of local projects. Visit www.vahealth.org/civp

Contact Us
Virginia Department of Health
Division of Injury and Violence Prevention
109 Governor Street, 8th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-864-7732 or 1-800-832-8333
Fax: 804-864-7748
Email: civp@...

If you would like to be added to DIVP's email distribution list so that you
get the E-Newsletter directly, please email civp@... with "DIVP
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