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| Contact: Christine Hill (612) 873-5719 |
06/01/09 |
Ladders Among Top Causes of Brain Injury
Chances of a brain injury increase with every rung. This simple message will travel through downtown Minneapolis, affixed to 10-foot industrial ladders and pushed by teams of DIY painters, on Tuesday, June 2 between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
This is the way Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) is continuing its public awareness efforts to highlight the need for prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Ladders will be used to call attention to the leading cause of TBI – falls, and to remind the public that summertime projects like painting, window-washing, cleaning or remodeling become dangerous activities if not done safely. According to HCMC, the busiest Level 1 Trauma Center in the state, falls from ladders account for more than 17,000 brain injuries a year nationwide.
Three teams of “average Joe and Jane” painters – with paint buckets and smocks – will be spotted pushing ladders throughout downtown, and several more ladders will be set up in front of the IDS Center on Nicollet Mall along with a “Brain Bar” – an educational kiosk staffed by HCMC’s brain injury specialists. Visitors to the Brain Bar will have the opportunity to learn more about their brain and the impact that TBI can have on it. Experts from Hennepin County Medical Center’s Traumatic Brain Injury Center will be available at the event to answer questions.
One of the campaign’s main elements is its website – www.savethisbrain.org – which allows people to take a closer look at how their brain works and makes them who they are. Visitors can “build their own brain,” save it to an online gallery and share their brain with friends. The website also provides information about the signs, symptoms and treatment of TBI, as well as tips for keeping your brain safe.
Created with Minneapolis agency Russell Herder, the “Save This Brain” campaign launched last fall and continues this summer with event appearances at the Great River Energy Bike Festival Expo on June 12; the Minnesota State Fair’s Kid’s Day on August 31; the Minneapolis Bike Tour on September 20; and the Walk for Thought in Como Park on September 26.
About Traumatic Brain Injuries
Each year, more than 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). That’s one every 23 seconds! Among children and young adults, TBI is the leading cause of death and disability.
In Minnesota, over 15,000 new traumatic brain injuries occur annually and 100,000 Minnesotans live with a disability caused by a brain injury. A large percentage of new injuries are mild to moderate cases and many go untreated. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Hennepin County Medical Center admits more than 700 patients with traumatic brain injuries each year and has inpatient and outpatient programs for both adult and pediatric TBI patients. For more information about the Traumatic Brain Injury Center, fall prevention, and ladder safety tips, visit hcmc.org.
About Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level 1 Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota. The comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital includes a 446-bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty clinics located in downtown Minneapolis, and four primary care clinics in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County.
For the twelfth year in a row, Hennepin County Medical Center is listed in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the top U.S. Hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” report.
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