NCH CIRP awarded CDC Injury Control Research Center designation, another 5 years

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has renewed the designation of the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital as one of the agency's Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs). This renewal follows a highly competitive review process of applications by research centers from across the country. It reaffirms CIRP's role as a national leader in the areas of pediatric injury research, education and training, and community outreach.

Since it was first designated as an ICRC in 2008, CIRP has been the only ICRC from among the 11 ICRCs nationally to focus on injury research and prevention for children and adolescents. Pediatric injuries are one of our nation's most important public health problems, said Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, founder and director of CIRP and professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. We are delighted that this continued funding support and designation as a CDC Injury Control Research Center will allow us to expand our research, teaching and advocacy efforts as we pursue our goal of preventing injury-related death and disability among children and adolescents.

Injury is the leading cause of death and acquired disability among children and adolescents in the United States. Nationally, more than 9,000 children and adolescents died from unintentional injury in 2009, and millions more were treated in hospital emergency departments due to injury.

Our success as a pediatric injury research center is due to the dedication, innovation and hard work of our outstanding faculty, affiliate faculty and staff, said Dr. Smith, We publish a new research study more frequently than every 6 days, and then translate and disseminate the findings of that research to parents, other child caregivers, health professionals, coaches, community leaders, corporations, and others, who can use the information to take action to prevent injuries.

We are proud of the life-saving work that members of CIRP are doing every day to protect children from preventable injury, said Steven Allen, MD, CEO of Nationwide Children's Hospital, The world is a safer place for children and their families because of their remarkable work.

The Center for Injury Research and Policy works globally to reduce pediatric injury-related death and disabilities. With innovative research as its core, the Center has become a leader in the field by continually improving the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP focuses on translating its cutting edge research into education, public policy and advances in clinical care.