Making the Villages Even Safer
In a recent issue of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, the Villages’ own Linda Erceg, Associate Director for Health and Risk Management, co-authored a paper examining ways to keep kids healthier at camp. According to Erceg, “Our goal is to help people stay well so they can fully enjoy the program.” On staff for over twenty five years, Linda Erceg is a leader in the camping world and founder of the Association of Camp Nurses. “Intentionally examining the context in which Language Villages staff and villagers get ill or injured helps us identify points at which we can intervene, making things better for everyone.” The article explores how an injury and illness surveillance program was used to reveal patterns of injuries and illnesses within day and resident camps and the preventive strategies helpful for improving the health and safety of campers. Specifically, the paper provides an analysis of levels of supervision, footwear policies, and activity-specific head protection, and implementing practices that minimize the potential that someone will get ill or hurt. The innovation of sharing of data proved helpful in understanding illness and injury. The systematic investigation of when, where, and how injuries and illnesses occurred brought to light trends that yielded specific, practical strategies that administrators can implement to improve safety for staff and participants. This new approach to understanding what is happening in youth programs allows for targeted intervention based on real data rather than perceptions of trends. As program administrators work to improve health and safety, understanding the trends related to illness, injury, and proactive management can make a difference.
“An Injury and Illness Surveillance Program for Children and Staff: Improving the Safety of Youth Settings” Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, Winter 2009. Volume 27, Number 4 pp. 121-132
Authors:
Linda E. Erceg
Barry A. Garst
Gwynn M. Powell
Ellen E. Yard
clv@cord.edu
(800) 222-4750
