Childress Institute Funds New Research to Save Injured Children

Dr. Frederick Rivara from the University of Washington in Seattle Receives $75,000

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Jan. 15, 2014 – After a rigorous nine-month review process, the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma has selected Dr. Frederick Rivara’s research project to receive a $75,000 grant based on its overall impact to enhance standard practices in pediatric trauma management. Dr. Rivara is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Almost 200,000 injured children are hospitalized every year in America,” said Dr. J. Wayne Meredith, executive director of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, chair of general surgery and director of the division of surgical sciences at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. “The Childress Institute funds research to help health care professionals discover new ways of treating and saving seriously injured children. We plan to support research across the United States and share that knowledge to improve care no matter where you live, and Dr. Rivara’s project helps achieve that objective.”

The goal of Dr. Rivara’s project, titled “Development of the Pediatric Trauma Assessment and Management Database,” is to help reduce pediatric trauma deaths by developing a unique database created by the linking of two different sets of data on pediatrics trauma patients. His group will test the usefulness of the database by examining the care of critically injured children. Dr. Rivara believes this will lead to the development of appropriate quality of care indicators to assist those treating pediatric trauma patients.

“We are excited our database project was selected from so many deserving studies to receive a grant from the Childress Institute,” said Dr. Rivara. “We think analyzing information about pediatric patients will result in better treatment options and will help achieve our common goal of saving the lives and improving the outcomes of injured children.”

In early 2013, the Childress Institute announced the availability of research funds for a project focused on improving treatment for pediatric trauma patients. The Childress Institute will choose another research project in 2014. Instructions for the 2014 “Request for Application” will be distributed early this year.

To learn more about the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, visit www.InjuredKids.org, or find the Childress Institute via social media on Twitter @injuredkids, www.facebook.com/ChildressPediatricTrauma and www.YouTube.com/ChildressInstitute.