Staying safe and preventing injuries

Trauma centers and emergency departments at hospitals see many kinds of patients in their waiting rooms. However, during active outdoor months, waiting rooms become filled with patients needing care for fractures and other traumatic injuries. Trauma centers like UHS Wilson Medical Center help care for and prevent these injuries.

UHS Wilson is a New York state-designated Level II Adult Trauma Center, the only one in the Southern Tier of New York. In addition, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) recently re-verified UHS Wilson’s status as a trauma center.

The hospital’s practices were carefully analyzed by ACS and found to have exceeded standards. “The best way to address trauma is to prevent it,” said Bethlehem Emmons-Post, MS, PA-C, manager of the Trauma Program at UHS. “Public awareness is crucial to injury prevention. That’s why we’re committed to partnering with community organizations, agencies, schools and businesses in prevention education efforts.”

“Public awareness is crucial to injury prevention.”
—Bethlehem Emmons-Post, MS, PA-C

UHS trauma team members embrace their role in establishing community outreach programs. They are always on the lookout for new opportunities to take prevention to where people live, work or go to school. The team has put together workshops, presentations, classes and safety guidelines to help groups and individuals respond correctly to traumatic situations.

There are many ways you can prevent traumatic injuries. One way UHS Wilson assisted their senior community in Broome County was through Tai Chi for Fall Prevention workshops with the Broome West Senior Center. The classes aimed to improve balance, muscle strength and coordination to reduce fall risk.

Whether you’re a 7-year-old learning how to peddle without training wheels or a 70-year-old relearning the rules of the road, UHS trauma professionals are here to help.