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UNC Trauma Center’s newest podcast episode of Trauma Talk is on booster seat safety with Bevan Kirley, a senior research associate at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center. In the episode, Bevan stresses the importance of booster seat use, offers tips on proper usage, and shares common mistakes parents and caregivers make.

Booster seats play a critical role in keeping kids safe, and kids probably need booster seats longer than you think.” -Bevan Kirley

The UNC Trauma Center and the UNC Highway Safety Research Center hope the information shared in the episode will help combat the lack of booster seat use in the community.

Listen to the podcast here.

The following column was published in print in News of Orange County. It appeared in Orange Partnership for Drug & Alcohol Free Youth’s monthly column “Talk it UP!”  

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been the crisis at the forefront of everyone’s mind for the past year, the opioid crisis has continued to persist — even accelerate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported over 81,000 drug overdose deaths nationwide from June 2019 to May 2020, making it the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month period. In North Carolina, opioid overdose emergency department visits increased 23% from 2019 to 2020, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. In Orange County, Emergency Services has seen the number of opioid overdoses increase by 30% in 2020, with 12 overdoses occurring already in 2021.

These alarming statistics emphasize the need to take action to combat the opioid epidemic. Two of the easiest and most impactful actions include safely disposing of medication that is no longer needed and securely storing those that are still needed in a lock box at home.

An average of six people each day died from unintentional medication or drug overdose in 2019 in North Carolina, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Angie Thomas, a mother who is an advocate for issues related to addiction and involved with the Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth, lost her daughter in 2016 at the age of 21 to an overdose. From her own experience, Thomas now raises awareness about the importance of ensuring all medications are secured in the home. While it may not seem like a big deal to have medications lying around in the home, it could easily lead down a tragic path. Thomas’ daughter was prescribed the painkiller oxycodone after having spinal surgeries. However, after she stopped giving the medication to her daughter, Thomas kept the medication in the house not knowing her daughter had become addicted. But she soon realized her daughter was sneaking the medication since they were available and unsecured in the home. This started what Thomas described as her daughter’s long road with addiction. As a result, Thomas urges parents and family members to dispose of all unneeded drugs. This is especially important given that 53% of people who misuse prescription medication obtain them from family and friends, according to Lock Your Meds NC. Thomas said removing medicine from the home is an easy and impactful step in combating opioid addiction.

One easy way to dispose of medications is by participating in upcoming Operation Medicine Drop events. Operation Medicine Drop is a free drug take-back program that provides an opportunity for community members to dispose of expired or no longer needed over-the-counter and prescription medications in a safe and secure way. Since the first take-back event in North Carolina in 2010, Operation Medicine Drop has collected more than 232 million pills and helped stop prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands. 

In addition to these events, over the past decade, nine permanent medication drop boxes have been established by the Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth, law enforcement agencies and pharmacies across Orange County. While some locations are currently closed at this time due to COVID-19, the following locations are open and accepting any unwanted or expired medications.

• Hillsborough Pharmacy
• Hillsborough Walgreens
• Carrboro Police Department
• Orange County Sheriff’s Office

Medications not properly disposed of may end up in the wrong hands or contaminate the water supply, so please take advantage of upcoming Operation Medicine Drop events and drop box sites to do your part to combat the opioid epidemic that has ravaged our nation, state and community. It is an easy step to take and could save a life.

Story written by Rachel Crumpler, UNC Tar Heel Trauma Program’s communications intern.

Derek Miller is the new Nurse Education Specialist for Burn Outreach & Prevention at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center — a position that has remained unfilled since 2019. While the role is new for him, working at the Burn Center is not. 

Miller began working as a nursing assistant at the Burn Center in 2004 to gain practical experience while he attended nursing school at UNC-Chapel Hill. After graduating from nursing school in 2006, Miller said he simply changed his name tag to reflect his new position as a clinical nurse and continued working at the Burn Center. 

While at the Burn Center, Miller acted as a preceptor, charge nurse and a de facto unit educator. He also obtained instructor certifications in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS).

During his time at the Burn Center, Miller worked closely with former Burn Outreach & Prevention Educator Dr. Ernest Grant, who is now the president of the American Nurses Association (ANA). Miller said they travelled all over the state teaching Advanced Burn Life Support classes and other burn education courses for nursing and EMS students.

“I was a bit like his understudy,” Miller said.

In working with Dr. Grant, Miller said he became interested in the Burn Outreach & Prevention Educator job. In fact, Miller said it became the job he hoped to one day have. 

It just took a decade for it to happen.

In May 2015, Miller left the Burn Center to pursue a nursing professional development role at UNC Hospitals. For over five years, Miller coordinated a program called Odyssey, which was the clinical core of onboarding education for new critical care nurses.

While he enjoyed the role, he was recruited back to his roots at the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center for the vacant Burn Outreach & Prevention Educator position.

Though Miller is returning to a workplace that is familiar to him, he said both he and the Burn Center have changed.

“The landscape is different, so it’s really about creating new things to adapt to what the needs are across the state for burn education and outreach,” Miller said. “Part of that’s rekindling what has been done before and part of that, I hope, will be creating new things to meet current realities.” 

 Miller’s job as Burn Outreach & Prevention Educator will involve several domains. 

A large part of his work will focus on burn prevention efforts. He said he will partner with various organizations like Safe Kids coalitions and fire departments to provide burn education and outreach. 

Miller said he will also be working to cultivate relationships with emergency departments, fire services and EMS services across the state so that when burn injury does occur, staff have the expertise needed to treat a patient. 

During his first two weeks on the job, Miller has already booked several trainings meant to educate nursing students and EMS staff on current burn care practices, such as with Robeson Community College, Guilford Technical Community College and Harnett County EMS.

Miller also plans to get involved in the larger burn community from an advocacy and policy-making perspective, with the American Burn Association (ABA) and the Phoenix Society.

Over the course of his work, Miller’s goal is to reduce preventable burn injuries and ensure optimal burn care through outreach and education.

“We just want to minimize injuries,” Miller said. “But then, for those who do suffer injuries, we want to make sure that they have excellent care before they come to the Burn Center, while they’re here and post-discharge.” 

Story written by Rachel Crumpler, UNC Tar Heel Trauma Program’s communications intern.

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Nov. 11, 2020) — Army Medicine leaders traveled to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Nov. 11, to join the UNC Health executive leadership to formally announce and celebrate the newest AMEDD strategic partnership.This military-civilian partnership with UNC Health will allow military medical personnel to train at the UNC Medical Center, thereby ensuring the readiness of the Nation’s military medical force to save lives on the battlefield and at home.The 803-bed UNC Medical Center serves more than 37,000 people annually. A military-civilian partnership with the medical center is ideal, as North Carolina is also the home of the largest military installation in the world at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville.Providers from the U.S. Army’s Forward Resuscitative Surgical Teams and other medical personnel from U.S. Army Forces Command and other tenant commands at Fort Bragg, will work with civilian health care personnel in the emergency department, the operating rooms, and intensive care units.Hosting the partnership ceremony on Veterans Day, the day when America honors all those who have served, was also regarded as “symbolic” and representative of the Army Medicine mission to remain “Ready, Reformed, Reorganized, Responsive, and Relevant.””It’s a special opportunity. We have a lot of reasons not to make time to recognize important moments like this, and I’m so grateful that we didn’t do that today,” said Maj. Gen. Telita Crosland, Deputy Army Surgeon General, Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the U.S. Army Medical Command and Chief of the Army Medical Corps. “We found the time; we made the time; we made the space on a historic day for the military to commemorate a key partnership that’s going to help us as Soldiers, do better.”Crosland represented Army Medicine on behalf of the Army Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle. She arrived at the medical center with Command Sgt. Maj. Diamond Hough, U.S. Army Medical Command and were accompanied by John Ramiccio, Deputy, G-3/5/7 (Operations), OTSG; and Cynthia Barrigan, Program Manager, AMEDD Medical Skills Sustainment Program/Director, Military-Civilian Partnerships, G-37, Readiness & Training Division, OTSG.The event required attendees to wear face coverings and maintain appropriate social distancing.”These kind of partnerships allow us to maintain a clinical competency, and the training keeps our AMEDD Soldiers at their highest level of proficiency ready to deploy and win on future battlefields and today’s battlefield,” Crosland said.UNC Health executives, including Gary Park, Chief Operations Officer; Steve Burriss, President; Dr. Cathy Madigan, Chief Nursing Officer; and Dr. Daryl Johnson II, Adult Trauma Medical Director, UNC School of Medicine, escorted Army Medicine leaders on a tour of the facility’s emergency room, operating room and burn center/intensive care unit.The high point of the visit was the signing of medical training agreements, which included Crosland and Dr. Wesley Burks, Dean of the UNC School of Medicine, Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs and Chief Executive Officer, UNC Health.The UNC Medical Center is the 7th Level I trauma center to partner with the Army Medical Skills Sustainment Program (AMSSP). The program develops partnerships with civilian trauma centers and hospitals to build medical sustainment capabilities in Army medical personnel. These partnerships offer specialized medical training to active duty, Army National Guard, Army Reserve personnel and a cross-service mix from the Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard as part of Operation SMART (Strategic Medical Asset Readiness Training).The SMART program, which was established in August 2018 and managed by OTSG, is a two-week program that provides medical military occupational specialties, such as combat medics, the opportunity to get “hands on” training alongside their civilian counterparts in premier trauma centers and hospitals throughout the United States. Currently, there are six SMART participants going through training at the UNC Medical Center.”I think, as we move forward and we continue to adapt to our environment, these partnerships are going to be critical to our success. They give us the opportunity to see types of trauma that we normally might not see in our own [training] facilities, and the abilities it gives our Soldiers increases their skillset. And, ultimately that’s what we need. We need their skillset to be increased to be prepared to do the things we’re going to ask them to do in the future,” said Hough.”Just the experience and the volume builds confidence. And, when you fight to win, one of the key ingredients is confidence. If you’re confident, you can solve so many problems that you can’t even see today. Those young Soldiers are getting that. And they’re getting that investment by their Army, their Army Medicine, and their communities to make them the very best because winning matters,” said Crosland.”What’s been humbling about all of this is the willingness of our partners to embrace what we need and to do it so passionately,” she continued. “I do think it will be an enduring model going forward as medicine is a team, and breaking down those walls between civilian and military, so we can come together and get the best out of it for both of us is what these kinds of partnerships represent.”Dr. Johnson also offered a similar note during the final moments of the partnership ceremony.”Military and civilian health care providers will work together to enhance patient care through mutual training, sharing our best practices and innovation. Our cultures will continue to blend as we both seek continuous improvements in patient care, and we at UNC do not see this partnership as a one-sided affair. In the coming months, we will establish a military medical training center of excellence that will house the core of the partnership organizationally; we will evaluate best practices from other sites and incorporate those into our program here,” said Johnson.“We desire at UNC to become the preeminent program that helps and shapes the way the U.S. Army trains its medical personnel. Partnering with the Army Medical Department Medic Skills Sustainment Program has potential impact far beyond improved battlefield care. We expect this collaboration to be a foundation for preparedness for response to national disasters and crises such as the ongoing COVID pandemic.”

Source : Agenparl – November 12, 2020