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Cincinnati Children's Physician Named as President Elect of National Organization

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Ft. Lauderdale Florida, December  2014:  Emergency Room Pediatrician Wendy Pomerantz, MD, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center (CCIC) has been voted in as President Elect of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids®.  The Coalition is a national association of injury prevention programs and centers located in 39 general and pediatric level one trauma centers across the country.  Using research, advocacy, and education, Injury Free works to improve the health and safety of children and their families. The organization's efforts are concentrated in neighborhoods with the highest rates of injury and health-related problems.  Dr.. Pomerantz comes to her newly elected position after 14 years of service as the Co-Principal Investigator of Injury Free Cincinnati.

“I am excited to be the president elect of Injury Free and to take on the challenge of maintaining this fabulous organization,” Dr. Wendy Pomerantz said.  “Injury Free has been a great way to connect with injury professionals from around the country and to stimulate collaboration and new ideas to prevent injuries to children. The work done in this organization is truly inspiring.”   She went on to explain Cincinnati Children’s hospital Medical Center joined Injury Free in 2000 and that since then by using the Injury Free model, Injury Free Cincinnati has reduced injuries in its targeted communities. ”I cannot wait to help lead this organization. I would love to see membership and funding grow as Injury Free moves forward into the next 20 years.“

“Dr Pomeranz has devoted her career to keeping children and families safe,” Dr. Barbara Barlow, MD, the Founder and Executive Director of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids said.  “She will be a great asset to the leadership team.”

Current Board President, Michael Mello, MD, MPH, Rhode Island Hospital Injury Prevention Center Director and University Emergency Medicine Foundation welcomes Dr.  Pomerantz.  Dr. Mello said, "Wendy has been a leader within the organization and the field for long time and we are fortunate to have her be the next president of Injury Free.”

Dr. Pomerantz received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her medical school degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas. She completed a Pediatrics Residency at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, and a Master's of Science in Epidemiology at the University of Cincinnati. Currently, she has a faculty appointment as a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has been a pediatric emergency medicine physician since 1998. She has published many peer-reviewed articles in the fields of injury and poison prevention. Her interests include poison prevention, concussions, program evaluation, education, and geographic information systems.

Injury Free Coalition for Kids®

The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is located in the Columbia University Medical Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention.  It is among the country's most effective injury prevention programs. Injury Free is comprised of hospital-based, community-oriented injury prevention sites whose efforts are anchored in research, education, and advocacy.   Located in all of the countries Federal Trauma Regions, there are 39 sites across 30 states and one international site in Ontario Canada.  Each site is housed in the trauma center of its participating institution. They are all independent, physician-led programs driven by the Coalition's mission: preventing injury to children. While research determines where the injuries take place and which ones most prevalent and severe, most of the injuries addressed occur in urban environments, and Coalition members work to empower the diverse populations who live there.