Category: IVPP Blog

Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips from the National Safety Council to share with your student to help keep them safe: Walkers Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; if you are walking on Read More

If you suspect you or someone in your household or office has been poisoned, don’t waste time trying to figure it out. Call the national hotline immediately. The number: 1-800-222-1222 is the same number across the country, but is staffed by 55 poison centers, two of them here in Virginia. Fiorella Carhuaz, education specialist for Read More

Poison control centers across the country respond to more than two million calls a year about potential poisonings, and most of these occur right in the family home. And these days, most poisonings can also be handled at home, not necessarily at the Emergency Department, says Public Health Educator Kristen Weinger, Blue Ridge Poison Control Read More

It’s that time of year already … the kids are heading back to school and the City of Richmond is encouraging them to take active transportation, including their own two feet. Studies nationwide show that in elementary school, most U.S. kids get enough exercise, but there is often a steep drop off after that. Whether Read More

Bicycle riding is fun but it’s important to ride safely and avoid potentially traumatic accidents. We want to encourage our children to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and exercise, but we want them to be safe. Bethany McCunn from the Injury and Violence Prevention unit at The Virginia Department of Health offers important reminders Read More

  The best way to keep your child safe in the car is to use the proper car seat in the proper way. As the Safety Seat Check Station Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Health, Bethany McCunn works to raise awareness about the importance of car seat safety.  Here she shares information about keeping Read More

Since 1998, more than 800 babies and children in the U.S. have died after being left in a hot car. The State of Virginia recognizes that the challenge of keeping children safe has been impacted by the new law requiring children sit in rear-facing car seats until they reach age two (2) or meet certain Read More

About Student Athletes and Concussion School sports encourage teamwork, build lasting friendships and create wonderful memories. They also can cause various degrees of injury, concussions being among the most dangerous. The CDC’s HEADS Up program offers specific guidelines to coaches and parents for helping prevent traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussions, in student athletes. The Read More

Parents may have the best intentions to keep their children safe, but sometimes life gets in the way, people get distracted, and children get injured or worse. Bethany McCunn of the Virginia Department of Health works in the Injury and Violence Prevention unit and offers valuable advice about keeping children safe. Q: What’s the biggest Read More