Playing It Safe

No two days on the job are alike for Jennifer Taylor, manager of Injury Prevention and Le Bonheur-led Safe Kids Mid-South — the hospital’s proactive approach to childhood injury prevention.

Any given workday might find her delivering a community presentation on proper gun storage, conducting an infant car seat safety check, writing a Practical Parenting blog post on fireworks safety, leading an orientation for hospital social workers or bringing Clifford the Big Red Dog to a local grade school for a demonstration on pedestrian safety. A seasoned outreach educator, teacher and former critical care child life specialist who recently celebrated 19 years with Le Bonheur, Taylor assumed leadership of Safe Kids Mid-South in 2021 and views each day as a new opportunity to make homes, schools and streets a safer place for children.

“Most people are surprised to learn that preventable injuries are the No. 1 killer of kids in the U.S.,” said Taylor, who works closely with community partners across the Mid-South to raise awareness, provide education programs and initiate public policy changes to reduce childhood injuries. “Every year, nearly 10,000 children come to Le Bonheur’s Emergency Department with an injury that could have been prevented. Safe Kids Mid-South is our solution to address risk and determine prevention strategies, teaching kids and families about the leading causes of preventable injuries at home, on the road and during play.”

While Safe Kids focuses its prevention efforts on the four overarching areas of 1) car and road safety, 2) home safety, 3) sports and play safety and 4) emergency preparedness, the program’s offerings manifest in countless ways. Car and road safety education, for instance, could take the form of a Safe Kids-sponsored bicycle helmet fitting station, crossing guard appreciation event, replacement car seat following a motor vehicle accident or safe driving demonstration at an area high school, just to name a few. By example, Taylor teamed up with Memphis Police Department and Memphis East T-STEM Academy in spring 2024 to lead a presentation on the perils of distracted and impaired driving for students gearing up for prom and graduation.

Memphis East educators deemed the presentation so impactful that Safe Kids was asked to return in the fall for a demonstration on seatbelt safety.

“Memphis East T-STEM Academy has a long-time outstanding partnership with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Mid-South, and we are beyond grateful to Jennifer Taylor for all the essential work she has done to educate students, their families and our community in wellness,” said Donna Walker, Academic Director of The Freshman Academy at Memphis East. “We serve as proud partners in the worthwhile effort to decrease unintentional injuries through initiatives around distracted driving, speeding, bicycle safety, pedestrian safety and other critical topics.”