The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is a proud leader of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the lead organization of the SAFE KIDS Coalition of Cumberland Valley established in the Fall of 2003. Unintentional injury is the leading killer of children ages 14 and under, and the Children's Hospital is committed to reduce preventable injuries.  

More children die each year from injuries due to motor vehicle crashes, choking, burns, falls, drowning and poisoning than any childhood disease.  For each childhood death due to injury, 45 injured children are hospitalized and 1,300 injured children require emergency department treatment.  The result, one in four children will suffer an injury serious enough to require medical attention.

The good news is that most injuries are easily preventable.

SAFE KIDS Coalition is comprised of representatives of public safety, children’s health agencies, public policy servants, community organizations, businesses, and community members.

The SAFE KIDS Coalition carries out grassroots initiatives in support of the National Campaign. 

Coalition Initiatives include:

• Child Passenger Safety Seat Education
• Home Safety
• Gun Safety/Bullying/Gangs
• Public Education
• Community Programming
• Safety Product Distribution
• Education Public Policy Makers
• Local Injury Data Collection
• Local Program Evaluation 

Member Organizations

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
• Governor's Highway Safety Office
• Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth
• Meharry Medical College
• Metro Nashville Police Department
• Metro Parks and Recreation
• Metro Public Health Department
• Middle Tennessee Child Passenger Safety Center
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Sponsoring Agency
• Nashville Area Association for the Education of Young Children
• Nashville Fire Department
• Tennessee Department of Health
• Tennessee Department of Transportation and Safety
• Tennessee Highway Patrol
• Tennessee Regional Safety Council
• Tennessee State University C.A.R.E.S. Program
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
  

Chris Johnson (left), Moira Donahue, Walk This Way Program Director for Safe Kids Worldwide (right), and Phil Simms, Football Hall of Famer, (far right)

In honor of Chris Johnson's outstanding play throughout the 2009-10 season, FedEx is donating $25,000 to the Safe Kids USA coalition in Nashville! Click here to read more about this award.

Contact Us
For more information on the SAFE KIDS Coalition, contact Sarah Haverstick via email at sarah.haverstick@vanderbilt.edu or telephone 615.936.7656. 

For more information on the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, visit their Web site: http://www.safekids.org/.