Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia is home to a local chapter of ThinkFirst, a national injury prevention program.

At Einstein, we recognize that injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children, teens and young adults. The most frequent causes of these injuries are motor vehicle crashes, violence, falls, sports and recreation. Our mission is to reduce the number of preventable injuries we see. Simple actions, such as wearing a seat belt, reducing distractions while driving, wearing a helmet on a bicycle and taking other safety precautions can prevent many serious injuries from occurring.

Einstein ThinkFirst, in close collaboration with MossRehab, offers free injury prevention programs to elementary, middle, and high schools.

Einstein ThinkFirst Programs

ThinkFirst for Kids is an injury prevention program for grades 1-3. The curriculum, which includes introduction to preventing brain and spinal cord injury, is presented in a classroom setting or assembly format utilizing an animated video featuring Street Smart, the “Safety Superhero,” and various activities related to safety.

ThinkFirst for Youth is an injury prevention program for grades 4-6. The curriculum is presented with age appropriate information about the brain and spinal cord, and how to develop life-long injury prevention strategies.

ThinkFirst for Teens is an injury prevention program for high school age children. The curriculum includes injury prevention educators and Voices for Injury Prevention speakers, followed by a dynamic DVD presentation with powerful testimonies from various VIP speakers addressing the realities of life-altering injuries.

Our Mission

The Einstein Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) provides intensive follow-up care to young people ages 14-30 who have been treated in the emergency department for injuries related to violence. The program aims to help these patients recover from the substantial social and psychological effects of violence. Further, since being a victim of violence is a significant risk factor for being involved in violence in the future - either as a repeat victim or even as a perpetrator - the program hopes to intervene and assist young people who are at risk of future involvement in violence, and thus prevent the spread of violence in the community.

A Commitment to Trauma Intervention

Starting with the initial injury and continuing for up to nine months afterwards, TIP team members meet with clients on a regular basis to identify their needs and to connect them with services to support their recovery. The team works with clients on basic needs such as:

• Coordinating medical follow-up
• Health benefits
• Housing and legal help
• Support groups where clients can meet others who have been through similar situations
• Educational needs and job services to advance life goals and build hope for the future

Throughout this process, the TIP team also provides trauma-informed counseling to help clients cope with the psychological effects of violence, working closely with Einstein's Department of Behavioral Health to provide more intensive care for issues such as depression, substance abuse, or post-traumatic stress symptoms. TIP also has a strong partnership with Philadelphia CeaseFire. Ceasefire's onsite Hospital Responders intervene in real time to de-escalate conflict help us engage victims of violence. Through vital collaboration with our partners, we strive towards a goal of building safer, healthier communities.

Stop the Bleed is a free program for bystander emergency aid. This 90-minute course will provide bystander instruction and hands on practice in emergency first aid for uncontrolled bleeding. What you can do in the first 5 minutes could save a life!

The Stop the Bleed program at Einstein provides a formal presentation and hands-on practice of direct pressure application, wound packing, and use of a tourniquet. The course was developed for a nonmedical audience to address the needs of the immediate responder to control life-threatening bleeding until help arrives. Each class is taught by an instructor and a trained Einstein ER nurse or Trauma & Emergency Department medical staff member, and attendees receive a booklet about the national Stop the Bleed program and a certificate of participation.