Watertown, New York ----- Samaritan Medical Center will be hosting the second annual trauma prevention program for local high school students. “Let’s Not Meet By Accident” is designed for students taking summer driver education classes at Watertown High School and is intended to encourage wise decision-making when operating motor vehicles by providing a dramatic look at the consequences of alcohol abuse, speeding, use of a cell phone, failure to wear seatbelts, and other poor decisions.

Three separate sessions of “Let’s Not Meet By Accident” will be held on Friday August 3 rd from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at SMC, with approximately 100 students expected to attend. Scheduled teaching lessons include presentations from New York State Police, Guilfoyle Ambulance Service, and the SMC Emergency Department physicians and nursing staff. Students in attendance will participate in a simulation of a real-life trauma situation, reviewing the accident scene analysis and learning about trauma work-up for patients who present to the Emergency Department. Students will be given the option of visiting the morgue. Additionally, the NYS Police will conduct a helicopter landing on the helipad, and the pilot will give the students an opportunity to see the helicopter up-close and ask questions. Upon completion of the program, students will gather as a group for debriefing.

Students who participated in last year’s program were asked to complete a survey and the results were overwhelmingly positive. The results indicated that 96% of the participating students found the information they received during the program would influence the driving choices that they would make in the future.

Samaritan developed the “Let’s Not Meet By Accident” program in collaboration with the SUNY Upstate University Trauma Center at University Hospital in Syracuse, NY. Samaritan hopes to offer the program to other local high school driving courses upon request.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Samaritan welcomes media coverage of this event during the session scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Media representatives should plan to arrive at SMC lobby prior to start of the 9:00 a.m. session. For further information or to confirm media attendance, please contact Samaritan’s Marketing Department at (315) 779-5230..