Stony Brook medical experts are working to prevent pediatric and adult injuries. Jamie Ryan, injury prevention coordinator at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, uses local and national injury data to identify emerging risks and develop educational programs and materials that address them.

Ryan’s team is particularly focused on pediatric e-bike and water safety, as injuries and fatalities related to both are rising.

“The use of e-bikes among children has imploded faster than anybody can regulate them. They’re illegal for anyone under 16 years old in Suffolk, but it's now our number one mechanism of injury in the Pediatric Trauma Center with children 11 to 15, who are often not wearing helmets and are also riding really dangerously,” Ryan said. “Related admission rates have increased by 900% since 2023.” 

To address the trend, her department is developing peer-led education for middle school students on e-bike and e-scooter safety and the laws governing their use. The team also brings injury prevention education directly into the community through events such as the Hamptons Classic and CommUniversity Day, the annual event welcoming Stony Brook’s neighbors to explore Stony Brook University and Medicine.

Water safety is another priority. Ryan noted that  drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages one to four and the number two cause in ages five to 14. In 2025, her department partnered with water safety coalitions in the area and formed the Suffolk County Drowning Prevention Alliance. Together, partners are implementing a five-point action plan focused on data tracking, public education, pool safety, lifeguard workforce support and community outreach.

Ryan said her office also works with the Water Safety Coalition and schools like the Three Village School District. In addition, water safety has been added to the ongoing Teddy Bear Clinics, which focus on overall injury prevention for pre-K through second grade, including passenger safety, car seat safety and helmet safety.

What Ryan loves most about all this community engagement “is that it is powerful to see that just doing this work at a large scale really makes an impact,” she said.

Falls are a leading cause of injury-related death, hospitalization and emergency department visits among older adults — and many falls can be prevented. Stony Brook Trauma Center, in collaboration with community organizations, offers evidence-based Falls Prevention programs throughout Suffolk County and on Zoom for people age 65 and older and people with Parkinson’s disease.

Kristi Ladowski, associate director of Injury Prevention & Outreach, and Sarah Cohen, administrator for the Center for Parkinson’s Disease at Southampton Hospital, have joined forces to bring this programming to communities across Suffolk County and the East End.

“We focus on falls prevention, because falls in both the home and community are the leading cause of injury-related death, hospitalization and emergency department visits for this age group,” Ladowski said. “Falls have an impact on not just healthcare costs, but also on quality of life. They’re a leading cause of nursing home placement, so it’s a threat to a person’s ability to live independently.”

Ladowski said that because most falls are preventable, the free programs focus on how to recognize risks and stop falls before they happen. This includes working on strength and balance, components of home safety, medication, and chronic disease management, like keeping on top of vision and other health screenings. She and Cohen work collaboratively with community partners, like the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Suffolk (RSVP) Suffolk to offer balance, tai chi and Otago programs. Hosting organizations include libraries and senior centers.

One example is S.A.F.E. (Strength, Awareness, Function, Education) Falls Prevention is an eight-week workshop developed by the university’s School of Health Professions in collaboration with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and its Trauma Center. It’s led by graduate students in the university’s Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs under faculty supervision. Classes, which are held at Stony Brook Southampton, combine exercise, education and practical strategies to reduce fall risk and improve quality of life.

Ladowski said greater investment in preventive services is needed and that the community is responding. 
“Our participants are our biggest cheerleaders and the biggest referral source for more participants to engage with programming,” Ladowski said. “It’s important to remember that we're all at risk for a fall, so we want to change the way we talk about falls prevention. It’s all about healthy aging.”

Trauma care does not end when a patient leaves the hospital. For survivors and their families, the physical and emotional effects of an injury can continue long after treatment is complete.

Stony Brook is also providing support for those on a trauma recovery journey because as Jacqueline Coffey, trauma clinical care coordinator, said, “All it takes is an injury from motorcycle, car accidents, boating accidents, e-bike accidents, then on a dime everything changes. They go from being completely independent and taking care of their families and having a career to being dependent on strangers to help them.”

She said that’s why as the level one Trauma Center, Stony Brook Medicine is involved with the National Trauma Survivor Network for people from 18 through 70. The focus is to help patients in the fourth phase of their recovery: life after discharge. 

Trauma survivors, families, caregivers and community members come together for Trauma Survivors Day to meet with other trauma survivors.

Stony Brook’s annual Trauma Survivors Day event, Journey to Healing, brings trauma survivors, families, caregivers and community members together on the third Saturday in May. Attendees connect with Stony Brook Medicine’s trauma care team, EMS partners and fellow survivors, participate in the Trauma Survivors Network Race to Rebuild, and learn important safety practices through Stop the Bleed training, falls prevention and roadway safety education.

Support continues throughout the year through a monthly Zoom support group for trauma patients and their families.

“Trauma doesn't just affect the patient. It affects the entire family unit so they also need support,” Coffey said.

A trip to the emergency department is often distressing, so knowing the medical staff is trained to address underlying issues when they exist is an important advantage for the comfort and well-being of all patients. In fact, Dr. Erika Newton, an emergency medicine physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine, said many people live with long-term health effects after traumatic experiences, but don’t recognize that trauma may be contributing to their ongoing symptoms.

“For people experiencing chronic or recurring symptoms that have never been fully explained, it can be empowering to learn that past experiences may have played a role, to understand why the effects of trauma can persist, and to discover that there are many different paths to recovery,” Dr. Newton said.

That understanding helped inspire the Trauma Recovery Resources & Navigation Program, a trauma-informed navigator program connecting high-risk, high-ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and other emergency department patients to therapy and community supports, reducing behavioral health disparities and improving access to definitive care.

“We started this program to help patients living with the effects of past trauma get connected to the care they need,” Dr. Newton said. “Our patient navigator provides education, guidance and practical support until patients have successfully connected with care or no longer need assistance.”

Trauma-informed care is central to that work. Forensic Nurse Practitioner Michelle Tepper, DNP, director of the Stony Brook University Hospital Forensic Nursing and Family Violence Prevention program, explained that trauma-informed care begins with recognizing how common trauma is and understanding its potential effects on a person’s health, well-being, behavior and ability to engage in care. 

"Because we may not know which patients have experienced trauma, these principles should be incorporated into every patient interaction. This means asking permission before proceeding, creating a physically and psychologically safe environment, being transparent about expectations and available options, offering meaningful choices, and empowering patients to use their voice and participate in shared decision-making," Dr. Tepper said. "By approaching every patient with respect, compassion, and collaboration, healthcare providers can build trust, improve engagement, and create a safer and more supportive care experience.”

The program also demonstrates the power of partnerships within Stony Brook and throughout the community. The Stony Brook School of Social Welfare has provided master's-level social work students to serve as patient navigators, along with faculty supervision. Stony Brook Hospital Social Work has also provided supervision and support. 

“We also work closely with community organizations and behavioral health providers,” said Dr. Newton. “Patients may be referred to Stony Brook's Mind Body Clinical Research Center or other trauma-focused therapists, as well as community agencies such as ECLI-VIBES, L.I. Against Domestic Violence and the Crime Victims Center. In addition, The Retreat, ECLI-VIBES, and the Suffolk County Chapter of the Association for Mental Health and Wellness have all been valuable partners in helping us explore support group and peer support options.”