Experts will be on hand at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center to provide up to 100 free bike helmets for children who need them and to perform helmet inspections
VANCOUVER — PeaceHealth is teaming with Bike Clark County and Emergency Medicine Associates to make sure every child in our community is properly fitted with a bike helmet.
On Sat. Sept. 14, at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, experts will be on hand to provide up to 100 free bike helmets for children who need them, and to perform helmet inspections to ensure your child’s helmet is properly fitted and meets safety standards.
PeaceHealth Trauma Program Manager Karly Schreiver, BSN, RN says all families should be aware of the importance of wearing a properly fitted helmet.
“Wearing a bicycle helmet is one of the most effective safety measures a child can take to prevent injury. The use of helmets has shown to prevent 88 percent of serious brain injuries. The Trauma Team at PeaceHealth Southwest would like your help in preventing these serious injuries to you and your child. We are always here and ready to take care of you and your child, but the best idea is to prevent the need to see us!”
How to get a good fit
The helmet must be level on your head. The front edge should be no more than an inch or so above your eyebrows, and the strap should fit closely under your chin. Straps should meet just below your jaw and in front of your ears, forming a V under your earlobes. Push the helmet side to side, then front to back, and give it a twist. (The skin at your temples should wrinkle.) The helmet should move only a little bit. If it’s too loose and your helmet has an adjuster knob, tighten it, or if your helmet came with extra pads, use the thicker ones. If it’s too tight, turn the knob to loosen it or use the thinner pads.
Event details
On Sat., Sept. 14 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the front lawn of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, located at 400 NE Mother Joseph Place in Vancouver, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center’s Trauma Center team, along with Emergency Medicine Associates and Bike Clark County will fit helmets and distribute new helmets for the first 100 children in attendance.
About PeaceHealth Trauma
The PeaceHealth Southwest Trauma Center is a state designated center equipped to handle any complexity and severity of a trauma. The center has a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Trauma surgeons with expertise in surgical critical care, neuro-critical care, and acute surgical illness; Orthopedic surgeons with special expertise in complex orthopedic injuries including complex pelvic fractures; Neuro-surgeons trained in all aspects of managing traumatic brain and spine injuries; Trauma radiology with highly advanced interventional capabilities for the management of highly complex traumatic injuries and their complications.
For more information visit peacehealth.org/phmg/vancouver/trauma-surgery
