Season 2, Episode 39 - Turning Passion into a Lifesaving Career

Turning Passion into a Lifesaving Career

 

On this week's episode of "Beyond the Dais," host Scott Anderson sat down with Emma Bernick, the Injury & Violence Prevention Planner at El Paso County Public Health, to dig deep into the life-saving initiatives happening right in our neighborhood.

A Lifelong Commitment to Public Health:  Emma Bernick may be a recent addition to the El Paso County Public Health team, having joined in October of 2023, but her passion for injury and violence prevention isn't anything new. Moving from Iowa, where she grew up and spent her early career, Emma has always been intricately tied to the healthcare sector. Her father's veterinary practice and her work at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital cultivated her understanding of medical services and the need for preventative measures.

Emma's real awakening to the field of injury and violence prevention came while working as an anesthesia tech, where she dealt firsthand with preventable traumatic injuries. This exposure, combined with her education in public health, led her to question why the focus was more on reactive solutions rather than preventative strategies.

Three Pillars Guiding Public Health Efforts:  Public health, as Emma describes, operates on three main tiers: prevention, promotion, and protection.

1. Prevention focuses on halting diseases and injuries before they happen. Education about issues such as diabetes, injury prevention, and infectious diseases falls under this tier.

2. Promotion is about fostering environments where people can make healthy choices. This involves community health promotion, outreach, and understanding social determinants of health, like income and environmental factors, which impact overall wellbeing.

3. Protection pertains to safeguarding the community against external health threats, such as through immunization clinics and emergency disease responses.

Changing Norms to Prevent Impaired Driving:  One major campaign Emma is leading aims to tackle impaired driving in El Paso County. Funded by a grant from the Persistent Drunk Driving (PDD) cash fund, the money derived from DUI fines is channeled back into preventive measures to curb impaired driving. The approach involves creating a social norming campaign, which re-educates the community to understand that impaired driving should not be seen as normal or acceptable behavior.

The campaign leverages positive messages highlighting that the majority of community members already make responsible choices, effectively aiming to reverse the misconception that impaired driving is commonplace. This strategy has been proven effective in other states, like Montana, with significant reductions in impaired driving incidents.

Collaborating for a Safer El Paso County:  Collaboration with various community organizations is crucial in Emma’s role. El Paso County Public Health partners with local entities like the Penrose Hospital’s injury prevention program, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Drive Smart Colorado, among others. Each brings a unique perspective and resource set to the table, strengthening the collective effort to ensure community safety.

Emma emphasizes that the involvement and input from all community members and stakeholders are vital not only for campaign success but for fostering a culture where safety is a shared responsibility.

Understanding and Preventing Tragic Losses:  Another initiative Emma is involved in is the Child Fatality Review Team. Charged with reviewing the deaths of children under 18, this multidisciplinary team seeks to understand the preventable factors behind these tragedies. Instead of assigning blame, the goal is to determine how future incidents can be avoided through better support systems and preventative measures.

The data collected helps in shaping targeted campaigns in critical areas such as youth suicide prevention, infant safe sleep environments, and car crash prevention, ultimately driving down the incidence rates of these fatal occurrences.

Turning Tragedy into Triumph:  While the nature of Emma's work involves engaging with difficult and often heartbreaking topics, her drive remains unshaken. The motivation to create a safer community and prevent others from experiencing similar tragedies fuels her efforts. The sense of making tangible, positive changes despite the heavy subject matter is what keeps her and her team going.

Emma’s insights shed light on the crucial behind-the-scenes efforts in injury and violence prevention in El Paso County. Her story is a compelling reminder of the importance of public health initiatives and how every community member can play a role. By making responsible daily choices and supporting local campaigns, together, we can contribute to creating a safer, healthier community.