Refocused efforts a win-win for Spokane’s children

For more information, contact Kim Papich, Public Information Officer, (509) 324-1539

SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) announced today that it will transition oversight of Safe Kids Spokane, a collaborative group whose goal is to reduce unintended injuries among kids, to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, effective today.

Said SRHD Health Officer, Dr. Joel McCullough, “Our community recognizes that everyone deserves a healthy start in life—preventing injuries in children is vital to this effort. Safe Kids Spokane brings important visibility to how individuals can prevent injuries in children, especially through its car seat program. But as public health funding decreases, so too does our ability to lead this program. With the existing injury prevention work of Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and its expertise and focus specifically on children, we’re confident Safe Kids will be in good hands.” 

“When you look at the core elements of Safe Kids—child-passenger safety, pedestrian safety, helmet education, and drowning and fire prevention—it makes perfect sense that Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital would assume leadership of the program,” said Susan Stacey, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital executive director. “SRHD has paved the way for success with the program and we’re excited to grow on the opportunity.”

The worldwide movement that became Safe Kids started in 1987 at the National Children’s Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Affiliated with Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe Kids Spokane began more than a decade ago, joining a global network of organizations with a mission of preventing unintentional childhood injury, a leading cause of death and disability for children ages 14 and under.

Spokane Regional Health District More information can be found at www.srhd.org. SRHD’s website offers comprehensive, updated information about Spokane Regional Health District and its triumphs in making Spokane a safer and healthier community. Become a fan of SRHD on Facebook to receive local safety and wellness tips. You can also follow us on Twitter @spokanehealth.

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital is committed to meeting the unique needs of children and families throughout the inland northwest, offering the area’s only pediatric intensive care, psychiatry, hematology and oncology programs, as well as specialized emergency/trauma care for children with emergent medical needs.  For more information, visit www.shmcchildren.org.