The Harlem Hospital Injury Prevention Program (IPP)

The Harlem Hospital Injury Prevention Program (IPP) began as a problem-specific program in 1988 and developed into a broad-based community development program that addresses the wellness of the young residents of Harlem and strives to identify innovative ways of improving the lives of children from birth through adolescence. To date, IPP has been involved in more than 15 activities which focus on providing safe play areas and organized activities for children, including rehabiliation and injury and violence prevention. The safe play areas focuses on four projects, one of which is the renovation of all public parks in the area in collaboration with the Block Associations and the NYC Department of Parks residents, and many other groups. Currently, six activities developed by the staff focus on injury and violence prevention, including an adolescent outreach program in collaboration with a number of groups such as Johnson & Johnson, Harlem Hospital's Adolescent Services and Mothers against Violence. One of the six organized activites for children is the Urban Youth Bike Corps which is a collaboration of many groups, including the Boy Scouts of America and the New York State Juvenile Justice.

The goal of this program is to prevent injuries and violence among children and adolescents in Harlem.

The Pediatrics Trauma registry data for northern Manhattan indicates a 32% reduction in hospital admission for major injuries to children since the inception of the program, and a 42% decrease in admissions of injured children from Harlem. There has also been a 50% reduction in motor vehicle-pedestrian, bicycle, and playground injuries, a 20% decrease in gunshot wounds, a 28% decrease in stab wounds and assaults, and the virtual elimination of falls from windows. From 1992-1994, of the more than 600 adolecents who participated in KISS, one of the anti-violence programs, none were admitted for injuries.