Contact Information

Massachusetts General Hospital

165 Cambridge Street, Suite 810
Boston, MA  02114

Phone: 617-724-2397

Email: traybould@partners.org
Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Injury Prevention & Outreach Program

    About the Program

    The Massachusetts General Hospital Level 1 Trauma Center, one of the busiest trauma centers in Massachusetts, treats more than 2,500 adults and children each year. The majority of these patients have suffered critical injuries resulting from serious falls, motor vehicle crashes, bicycle crashes and violent encounters.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), injuries and violence are the number one cause of death for individuals ages 1-44 in the United States, costing more than $406 billion annually in medical care and lost productivity. While some injuries are truly accidents and cannot be prevented, many injuries can be prevented. The CDC reported that seatbelts saved an estimated 255,000 lives between 1975 and 2008.

    Improving the Health and Safety of Our Communities

    The Trauma Injury Prevention and Outreach Program comprises a group of trauma specialists from the Mass General Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, Mass General for Children, the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Mass General Sports Concussion Clinic who work in partnership with state agencies and other public health groups to reduce injuries among Mass General patients and in the greater community.

    We research the impact of state laws designed to reduce injuries, implement evidence-based interventions to reduce injuries following hospitalization by changing risk factors and health behaviors to improve long-term well being. We also partner with the community to share expertise and advocate for policies to prevent injuries.

    Our Initiatives

    Injury Prevention Research
    • According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. We are studying the impact of the Massachusetts Graduated Driver License (GDL) program on the incidence of crashes, injuries and fatalities, as well as associated costs. The GDL is designed to phase in driving privileges for teen drivers to reduce their risk for crashes
    • Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries can pose serious short- and long-term consequences for those injured. Massachusetts passed a law in 2010 to try to prevent and reduce the negative consequences of youth sports concussions. Mass General is studying the impact of that law on pediatric primary caregiver attitudes and practices
    Interventions
    • We aim to reduce elder falls by connecting patients to services that will help improve mobility, reduce risk factors to falling, encourage participation in physical and social activities, as well as programs to improve balance. According to the CDC, tai chi and other exercise programs for older adults have been shown to reduce falls by as much as half among participants
    • Alcohol and substance abuse are associated with 30-40% of trauma cases. We help patients by connecting them with short- and long-term counseling and treatment services in their community
    Advocacy and Outreach
    • We support the establishment of the primary safety belt law in Massachusetts. Safety belt laws have been shown in other states to reduce motor vehicle crashes
    • Window falls among children remain a serious and preventable public health issue. We support a law to require window guard installation in public housing units at or above the second floor
    • We partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston YouthConnect program that works to prevent youth violence. Mass General offers ongoing workshops and expertise on a variety of topics, and the Mass General Department of Psychiatry also provides clinical evaluations for some YouthConnect clients
    • We share our work with the trauma and public health communities through publications, presentations and events

    Resources

    Drowning Prevention

    Stay safe in an around water

    Drowning can happen to anyone and often happens quickly and silently. Drowning is the #1 cause of death in children ages 1-4 and a top cause of death for teens. Drownings can happen in pools, kiddie pools, in the ocean, lakes and rivers. See below for tips on how to create a safe water environment for children and adults.

    Never leave a child alone in or near water, even for a few seconds

    • Close supervision: A parent or other adult must closely watch small children in any body of water and always be within an arm’s reach of the child.
    • Give your full attention: When supervising children, put away your phone and tune out other distractions.
    • Floaties are not enough: Children wearing “floaties” or “water wings” can still drown.
    • Take breaks: Share supervision duties with another adult to stay attentive.

    Learn to swim

    You and your child should learn how to swim and how to be safe in the water. Where to find swim lessons:

    Know your environment

    • Find lifeguards: Swim only where and when there are lifeguards on duty.
    • Follow signs: Obey all signs such as “no swimming,” or “no diving.”
    • Avoid risky behaviors: Never jump off cliffs or bridges or into a quarry.
    • Beach safety: Be alert to riptides, undertows, rocks, and seaweed.
    • Avoid substances: Do not swim or supervise children if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
    • Open water: Children should always wear life jackets when boating or on open water.

    Set rules for your family

    • Swim together: Know how to swim and make sure no one swims alone, including adults.
    • Regular check-ins: Set regular times to check in with an adult.
    • Permission first: Children should get permission from an adult before entering the water.
    • Tell someone your plan: Adults should tell other adults of their swimming plans.

    Other tips

    • Home pool safety: Build fences to fully enclose any pools.
    • Emergency preparedness: Learn CPR and what to do in an emergency.
    • Empty water out: Always empty baby pools, buckets, and other things that hold water after use.
    Services to Prevent Older Adult Falls

    Massachusetts 

    Cities and towns in Massachusetts have a Council on Aging who provide services including fitness classes, help with transportation and meals and more. There are also 24 Aging Service Access Points (ASAPs) that can help you connect with care services, housing support, financial wellness, and safety support as well as caregiver support.

    New Hampshire

    Rhode Island

    If the Person in Your Care has Dementia

    • The MGH Dementia Care Collaborative offers many programs to support caregivers including: skills training, emotional support, community resources, connections to others in a similar situation. Their Conversations with Caregivers program is a monthly educational forum with presentations from experts and opportunities to ask questions. Videos of past conversations are available on their website.
    • The Alzheimer’s Association has a website with many resources, including a 24/7 hotline. 24/7 hotline: 800-272-3900

    Community Partnerships

    An important element of our injury prevention work is outreach and partnership with our community. We aim to be responsive to requests to provide expertise from Mass General clinicians and be a member of coalition groups organized to address injury prevention issues.

    Our partners include:

    Email us

    A Top Hospital in America

    Mass General is recognized as a top hospital on the U.S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2024-2025.

    More about Mass General

    The Massachusetts Distracted Driving Prevention Law

    Michael Flaherty, DO, shares more about the new distracted driving law: why it is important and how parents can talk about it with their teenagers.

    Learn more