NASSAU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER’S INJURY PREVENTION OUTREACH DEPARTMENT OFFERS FREE PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY
Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP Michael B. Mirotznik, Esq.,
President/CEO Chairman Board of Directors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2017
PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
East Meadow, NY……….Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP, NuHealth/NUMC’s President/CEO announces no cost, important programs for schools and community organizations designed for keeping the community safe and injury free. “Our goal at the Nassau University Medical Center is to help prevent injuries and save lives, through our various outreach programs listed below on injury prevention,” said Dr. Politi
Bicycle/Helmet Safety—we are involved with educating the children, teens, as well as adults on the need to wear bicycle helmets when riding their bicycles. We discuss how to properly adjust the helmets on individuals. We also provide education on how to ride their bicycles safely in and around the streets, with information on how to keep their bicycles maintained properly. We also discuss the use of hand signals, and how to safely ride alongside the cars, and observe the same traffic laws as the other vehicles. This is done by demonstration and with the involvement of the participants, and videos can also be used.
Pedestrian Safety–Everyone is a pedestrian. Whether walking on a sidewalk, to a bus stop or through a parking lot, at some point in your travels, you are a pedestrian. It’s important that everyone – drivers and pedestrians, including children– know the rules of the road, best practices for safety and how pedestrian amenities should be used. We collaborate with the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board and the New York State Dept. of Health to bring evidence-based programs to the community.
Concussion Awareness—we educate the children, teens and adults on the signs and symptoms of concussions, what to look for, and when to seek treatment. This is done hands on, with demonstrations and also with videos and power point presentations.
Teen Driver Safety/Distracted Driving Program—we collaborate with various groups who educate students/parents on teen driver safety. This is done with speakers, videos, and hands-on demonstrations. We collaborate with the New York State Dept. of Health and other local organizations to bring programs to high schools, middle schools, and even elementary schools, concentrating on distracted driving and being safe.
Substance Abuse Programs—we coordinate with our partners at the Nassau County District Attorney’s office and their Heroin Prevention Task Force, and work with other community partners to educate the community on the dangers of alcohol/substance abuse with various programs. We also work with the Nassau County Police Dept. and their Community Task Force to help organize and present these programs.
Poison Prevention/Awareness—we collaborate with our partners at NYC Poison Control Center to provide education on such topics as carbon monoxide safety/awareness, medication safety, substance abuse awareness/prevention, environmental safety, and other important topics.
Car Seat Safety—collaborating with our partners at the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board, we provide car seat safety checks for our community. A certified car seat technician ensures that families are aware of the correct installation and have the appropriate car seat for their child.
Motor Vehicle Safety for Adults—We collaborate with the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board and AAA of NY to help provide important safety programs to our community, such as CarFit. CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. The CarFit program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility in the community. We also provide lectures to adults and senior citizen groups on this safe driving.
Fall Prevention/Home Safety—we educate the senior citizens in our community by providing informational seminars/presentations on Fall Prevention/Home Safety, such as having adequate lighting in and around the home, having medications checked frequently, balance issues, vision checks, and other ways to keep their home/apartment safe. We work with the New York State Dept. of Health in providing the most up to date programs for the seniors, and distribute important safety literature to each of them when we do our presentations at senior centers, churches, synagogues, health fairs, etc.
Fall Prevention: Tai Chi—this is an evidence-based fall prevention program in collaboration with the New York State Dept. of Health. A certified Tai Chi instructor, trained by the NYS Dept. of Health and the Tai Chi for Health Institute teaches Tai Chi for Arthritis for people over age 60 (or over age 18 with disabilities). It is an eight week program, twice a week, one hour each class, for a total of 16 sessions. Our Tai Chi instructor is certified by the NYS Dept. of Health and the Tai Chi for Health Institute.
Fall Prevention: Stepping On—this is a high-level, evidence-based fall prevention program that is also in collaboration with the NYS Dept. of Health. The participants are over 60 years of age, and they meet one day a week, with each session being two hours, for seven weeks. It is a small community-based workshop designed for people who are: 1) at risk of falling; 2) have a fear of falling, or 3) have fallen one or more times. Workshops are facilitated by trained leaders and provide a safe and positive learning experience. During the seven-week program, we guest speakers come in, such as a Vision Specialist, Pharmacist, and Community Safety Expert. A Physical Therapist oversees the light balance and strength exercises at four of the sessions.
If you have interest in these programs, please contact Marvin Berg, RN, Injury Prevention Coordinator at NUMC (516) 296-2277, or email at mberg@numc.edu.
ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life. Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community. By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.
For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.