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The Minnesota Poison Control System (MPCS), a cooperative
effort between the Minnesota Department of Health and the Hennepin Regional
Poison Center (HRPC), join with 64 other poison centers nationwide in
a campaign to raise awareness about
1-800-222-1222, the new lifesaving hotline for poison emergency treatment
and advice. Creating this new hotline is one way poison centers can help
to reduce illness and death as a result of poisonings - but there's still
so much more work to do! The Poison Center staff knows that prevention
is the best medicine, and that's why they are excited about two grants
that not only maintain statewide service, but will also help them expand
and improve their services.
In January 2002, Hennepin Regional Poison Center began utilizing the first
installment of a two-year, $2.8 million grant offered through state legislation
and won through a competitive bid process. It pays for staff and services
already in place at HRPC. "In addition to the positive impact our
program has on the community, obtaining the State contract and funding
has been one of our biggest successes," reports HRPC Managing Director
Debbie Anderson, "and the federal grant is the icing on the cake."
Anderson is referring to 80 grants totaling up to $15 million made available
by federal programs to stabilize and improve poison centers nationwide.
Because poison control centers often rely on public funding and their
financial needs are often overlooked, there's been a gradual decline in
the number of certified centers in the United States.
HRPC applied for one of these grants offered by the Health Resources Services
Administration (HRSA) in May 2001. In August, HRPC received notification
that they had been awarded a three-year grant totaling $870,000. Half
of the money is earmarked for education, and the other half is targeted
for information technology support. With the addition of these funds,
the center was able to significantly expand education services, hire a
full-time information technology analyst, and purchase new computer hardware.
Nationally, poison control centers serve the American public by providing
free, easy access to poison prevention and treatment information and education.
Each year, an estimated 4 million poisonings occur in the United States.
More than half of these incidents are reported to poison control centers,
where persons seeking help about suspected toxic exposures can consult
specially trained pharmacists, nurses and physicians 24 hours a day.
Hennepin Regional Poison Center received 62,510 calls in 2001. While most
incidences involved children age 5 and under (56%), Anderson explains
that poison can affect persons of any age - not just kids. "Whether
it's a senior mistakenly taking more medication than prescribed, an adult
who splashes gasoline in their eyes, or a teenager experiencing ill effects
from illicit drug use, the Poison Center manages poisoning emergencies
in all age groups."
Having easy access to a poison center prevents unnecessary health care
visits thus saving money on health care. "Eighty percent of our patient
calls are successfully managed at home," she explains. "This
means callers are receiving information from the Poison Center that allows
them to quickly respond to a poisoning situation without further medical
care. Likewise, the Poison Center immediately refers any patient to a
health care facility if their situation requires that."
Education Director Steve Setzer is busy implementing Minnesota Poison
Control Service outreach programs for the entire state made possible by
the federal grant. Since emergency medical service personnel are often
the first to respond to a poison emergency situation and many of them
are also educators in their communities, Setzer is conducting "train
the trainer" seminars in outstate areas. This is part of their strategy
to increase the MPCS's visibility within the state's eight regions of
emergency medical services (EMS). "The grant allows us to do outreach,
and creating awareness through EMS venues is a great way to do this,"
Setzer explains.
The Hennepin Regional Poison Center is nationally certified by the American
Association of Poison Control Centers and is the only certified poison
control center in the Midwest. The system is pleased to receive these
grants and offer lifesaving resources to the residents and health care
professionals in Minnesota. Reducing illness and death caused by poisonings
is the primary goal of the Minnesota Poison Control Service, and with
the help of additional funding, they can achieve this by furthering their
prevention and education efforts.
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