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 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (July 31, 2009) – On July 30, 2008, Richard and Judy Childress announced an ambitious plan -- the first of its kind: working with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, they would launch the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, whose mission would be to prevent and treat the leading cause of death in children, serious injuries.
Twelve months later, while the hard work of education, prevention and research continues, a great deal has been accomplished. The Institute has: - Designed an intensive first-responder training pilot program that will serve as a replicable national model
- Established 10 partnerships and affiliates, including with the World Health Organization / Centers for Disease Control, and the Pediatric Medical Device Institute
- Held a national conference that represented the first significant research dialogue on pediatric trauma
- Developed a consortium of 15 cross-appointed faculty, including nationally recognized researchers among pediatricians, pediatric surgeons and biomedical engineers
“My family and I truly appreciate the contributions made over the past year to the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing and the Institute’s founder and chairman of the advisory board. “From the generous gifts of our financial donors to Dr. Meredith and everyone else that have devoted their professional lives to making the Institute a success, we have successfully launched the program and created a solid foundation to build on. We are still only in the beginning phase and will need the help of many others to make an impact on the number one killer of kids in our country – serious injury. The progress made in the first year makes us all even more determined to reach our ambitious goals.” Each year, serious injuries claim the lives of more than 12,000 children in the United States—more than all other causes combined. The Institute’s goal is to save these lives and to help kids affected by these injuries recover to lead a more normal life. “We are enthusiastic about the progress we’ve made, and impatient to move even faster, yet we want to move deliberately and hold ourselves to the highest standards,” said J. Wayne Meredith, M.D., Executive Director, Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. “I believe we are ready to meet the rigorous requirements for being approved by the American College of Surgeons as a Level One Pediatric Trauma Center, and that within nine months we will receive this accreditation.”
To support the Childress Institute, contribute online or call us at 800-899-7128. To learn more, visit us online at www.ChildressPediatricTrauma.org.
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