Did you know that Harborview Medical Center (HMC), right here in Seattle, is the primary Level 1 Trauma medical facility for more than just Seattle?[1] In fact, HMC serves as the primary hospital for the most severe types of injuries for Washington, Idaho, Montana, and even Alaska.
Did you also know that behind the hustle and bustle of caring for patients with severe injuries, HMC also has a special group focused on providing information and assistance to the community at large? Harborview’s Injury Prevention & Research Center (or HIPRC) has been focused on research, education, and injury prevention since 1985. Its mission is to reduce the impact of injury and violence on people’s lives through research, education, training and public awareness.
The HIPRC first caught my eye after one of my partners at the law firm forwarded me an email containing a link to their newsletter. I was pleasantly surprised by how much good information it contained, and how many opportunities the general public had to attend talks and classes that could provide them with valuable information that could help save a life one day. Many of these talks and classes were not only open to the public, but were free to attend. For example, this month’s event calendar featured events such as a monthly free course on learning how to stop bleeding as part of first-aid. Previous months held events such as online seminars focused on kids and concussions, lectures on helping people heal after incidents of violence, and even more specialized medical talks by medical doctors on topics related to trauma. The group also makes a point of giving great tips on their website and in their newsletter on every day safety topics such as child car seats and sports safety.
I encourage everyone to open a web browser when you have a moment and check out the HIPRC webpage located at: http://depts.washington.edu/hiprc/. You never know what information you might find that might one day make a huge difference in your health, or the health of your family and friends.
[1] Hospital Trauma Center levels refer to the kinds of resources available and the number of patients admitted yearly. There are five different levels. Level 1 is the highest and most comprehensive category available. These medical facilities provide total care for every aspect of injury from prevention to rehabilitation.
