HOUSTON—Physicians from Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital’s Emergency Department and Trauma Services want to ensure the safety of local children by giving away bicycle helmets on May 28, 1 p.m. to 5 pm., at the hospital, 1635 North Loop West, North Tower Lobby. Free helmets will be available to children age one to 11+ on a first-come, first-served basis.
The helmet giveaway is part of a statewide effort—Hard Hats for Little Heads—launched by the Texas Medical Association in 1994 to help reduce head injury in children. The program is designed to educate children and their parents about how to prevent head injuries by wearing a helmet when bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding and when riding scooters.
On average, 250 children in the United States under the age of 14 die each year in bicycle crashes. Another 300,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for severe head injuries. Many of these accidents could have been prevented if the children had worn helmets.
Head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability from bike crashes. Helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent, yet only about 40 percent of cyclists wear helmets.
Hard Hats for Little Heads is made possible through a grant from the TMA Foundation thanks to top donors — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Prudential Financial and an anonymous foundation — and gifts from physicians and their families.
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About Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading-edge technology and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 20,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann’s 11 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including a Level I trauma center, a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, as well as three heart & vascular institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates the Life Flight® air ambulance service, cancer, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a wellness center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713.222.CARE.
The helmet giveaway is part of a statewide effort—Hard Hats for Little Heads—launched by the Texas Medical Association in 1994 to help reduce head injury in children. The program is designed to educate children and their parents about how to prevent head injuries by wearing a helmet when bicycling, in-line skating, skateboarding and when riding scooters.
On average, 250 children in the United States under the age of 14 die each year in bicycle crashes. Another 300,000 children are treated in emergency rooms for severe head injuries. Many of these accidents could have been prevented if the children had worn helmets.
Head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability from bike crashes. Helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent, yet only about 40 percent of cyclists wear helmets.
Hard Hats for Little Heads is made possible through a grant from the TMA Foundation thanks to top donors — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Prudential Financial and an anonymous foundation — and gifts from physicians and their families.
###
About Memorial Hermann Healthcare System
An integrated health system, Memorial Hermann is known for world-class clinical expertise, patient-centered care, leading-edge technology and innovation. The system, with its exceptional medical staff and 20,000 employees, serves southeast Texas and the greater Houston community. Memorial Hermann’s 11 hospitals include three hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, including a Level I trauma center, a hospital for children and a rehabilitation hospital, as well as three heart & vascular institute locations and eight suburban hospitals. The system also operates the Life Flight® air ambulance service, cancer, imaging and surgery centers, sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, outpatient laboratories, a wellness center, a chemical dependency treatment center, a home health agency, a retirement community and a nursing home. To learn more, visit www.memorialhermann.org or call 713.222.CARE.