Trauma nurse Carol Noll has seen the heartache caused when youngsters are critically injured, and it’s all the more painful to her because she knows that the majority of their injuries are preventable. That knowledge, and more than 20 years experience in the LGH trauma-neurosurgical unit makes her the ideal coordinator for the hospital’s Think First® team, and the ideal advisor on safety to kids from kindergarten through high school.
Think First®’s goal is the prevention of head and spine injuries among children, and efficient, expedient treatment of those that do occur. Lancaster’s Think First® is part of the national organization; as a level II trauma center, LGH offers the program to school districts throughout the county and beyond. In addition to Carol, the group includes fellow RN’s Genie Hostetter, Cindy Ashekian, and Jennifer Cutler. They go to middle schools and high schools, educating kids on safe behavior like wearing helmets and avoiding risky behavior. They also undergo special training each year through the national group to stay current on trends and new approaches to keeping kids safe and enlightened.
"This team does an outstanding job getting the word out, and doing it in a way that really grabs the kids’ attention," says Dr. Chris Kager, the medical director for Lancaster’s Think First®.
A neurosurgeon with Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates, Dr. Kager shares Carol Noll’s vantage point. "I also see the unfortunate effect of head and spinal cord injuries on children and teens", he said. "That, combined with the fact that my wife is a pediatrician, and we have six kids ourselves, has spurred me to become involved", he continued. "I want to make every effort to help expand the Think First® Lancaster County program, and get the message out to as many teens as possible", he concluded.
Among their tools is a moving video of teens telling their personal experience with permanent injuries, and the effects on their families. Vivid demonstrations bring home the importance of wearing helmets for such activities as biking, climbing, snowboarding, skating, and climbing. They also educate students about the physics of what happens to a body with a serious injury or accident, and how to be good first responders at the scene.
"Our goal is to talk to every high school student in Lancaster County", Carol Noll said. As word of the program has spread, Think First® members have been out to schools about once a week, getting closer to their goal. They’ve also gone to Lebanon, Middletown, and Morgantown.
Every one of the Think First® staffers is passionate about reaching young people, and they hope that each student who sees the program will in turn influence their friends’ behavior. The byword of Think First® is crystal clear: "Use your mind to protect your body". There is a back-up list of nurses at the hospital who are anxious to fill in when the schedule becomes full, and that suits Carol Noll just fine. As the program grows, and more schools learn about Think First®, she will be eager to expand the coverage.
"In the statistics of injuries for people under 30, sixteen is the peak", Carol Noll said. "A teen’s chances of being involved in a car crash are very high. We can’t fix a permanent spinal cord or head injury, so we really want to do everything we possibly can to prevent them", she concluded.
For more information or to schedule the Think First® Program for your school or community group, please call the Lancaster General Wellness Center at 544-3811.