DR. MARTIN EICHELBERGER
2003 HEALTH AWARD
Safe Kids
United States, Global
Martin Eichelberger, M.D., is professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at George Washington University Medical Center and director of Emergency Trauma and Burn Services at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he has contributed extensively to the field of pediatric trauma and injury control. Through the creation of Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC), Eichelberger initiated the first training program to equip emergency medical technicians, paramedics and other members of the healthcare team with the specific skills needed to treat injured children.
Additionally, Eichelberger directs the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) center at Children’s National Medical Center. CIREN pursues in-depth studies of motor vehicle crashes, injuries and treatments and is the only organization exclusively dedicated to children who are injured as motor vehicle occupants. Eichelberger believed helping injured children required not only better medical care, but also community interventions to prevent these injuries in the first place. As a result, he founded Safe Kids Worldwide in 1998, the only nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to preventing unintentional childhood injuries in the United States.
In response to a growing global need, Safe Kids Worldwide was officially launched in 2002 and now includes 16 member countries. SAFE KIDS institutionalizes injury prevention through comprehensive safety education campaigns, public policy initiatives, safety device distribution and funding. These efforts bring lifesaving safety messages to millions of children and families.