Summerville Medical Center Provides Halloween Safety Tips
What you need to know to stay safe this Halloween
Summerville, SC (October 29, 2018) – According to the National Safety Council, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. This Halloween, Summerville Medical Center encourages parents to keep their kids safe by using reflective wear, flashlights, the buddy system and traffic safety precautions.
“No one wants to end up in the emergency department on a holiday that should be about kids enjoying costumes and candy,” commented Doug Holtzman, MD, Summerville Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Medical Director. “It is important for parents and children of all ages to be careful while enjoying this time of year as accidents can happen when children are darting to the next house for candy.”
To help you enjoy your Halloween while protecting your youngest loved ones, the medical experts at Summerville Medical Center have compiled a list of Halloween safety tips to add to your checklist:
• Children under 12 years should trick-or-treat with a trusted adult
• A trusted adult should walk with children on sidewalks and stay with them when they cross the street
• Stick to familiar areas that are well lit
• Always assume that drivers cannot see you, especially at night
• Safety in numbers, trick-or-treat in groups so you are more likely to be seen
• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers
• Choose flame resistant and light colored clothing/costumes
• Carry flashlights or glow sticks
• Choose non-toxic face paint and makeup over masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision
• Avoid carrying toy guns, swords, sticks and other sharp objects
“Something a lot of people forget is that kids aren’t the only ones getting dressed up and celebrating Halloween – which can mean an increased rate of drunk driving incidents,” adds Dr. Holtzman. “My plea to adults celebrating Halloween with alcohol is to call a cab and don’t drive at all if you’re drinking.”
Ultimately, Halloween is a time for celebration and fun, so enjoy that time with your friends and family by following proper safety precautions.
###
Summerville Medical Center is a 94-bed, acute-care hospital with a 24-hour emergency room, a dedicated ER for children, and comprehensive medical services. The facility enjoys an enviable reputation for its women’s and children’s services including "home-like" birthing suites. Surgical services include orthopedic, reflux, robotic and weight loss surgeries. Summerville Medical Center is part of Trident Health, which has earned recognition as a leader in the delivery of healthcare in the Lowcountry.
For more than 40 years staff and physicians at Trident Health have provided acute healthcare services to families in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Services are provided through its two hospitals, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center; two freestanding emergency departments, Moncks Corner Medical Center and Centre Pointe Emergency; and two urgent care centers, CareNow Urgent Care Goose Creek and CareNow Urgent Care North Charleston. Both hospitals have received top ranking as Joint Commission Top Hospitals for Quality Performance and are Joint Commission Certified for Advanced Heart Failure and Advanced Primary Stroke Centers. Trident Health is one of the South Carolina Lowcountry’s largest employers with more than 2,500 employees and has a medical staff of nearly 500 physicians. In 2017 it provided $47.6 million in uncompensated care and paid $35.5 million in local, state and federal taxes. To learn more about how Trident Health is growing to meet the needs of our growing region and how to join our team go to www.tridenthealthsystem.com.
SCBIZtv is part of the SC Biz News family, serving 100,000 high-level business execs throughout South Carolina.
Click for more from SCBIZtv.
