Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, P. C.

Caution – Surgeons at Play
Doctors Join National Effort to Prevent Playground Injuries
February 21, 2005

KABOOM!! A slide, a tower, a climbing wall…red, yellow, blue, green…and a dream come true for 500 children at the C.E. Rose Elementary School – a place where all children can play together safely.

On a single day this March, surgeons, staff, families and friends of Tucson Orthopaedic Institute , in partnership with the national non-profit organization KaBOOM!, will join with volunteers from the C.E. Rose community to build a playground for the school. The handicapped accessible structure will be erected by a

team of 200 volunteers in a single day.

Tucson Orthopaedic has raised $60,000 for the project, with the help of Tucson Medical Center Foundation, and other health care and community volunteers who have rallied to this effort. The school also contributed $5,000,

which was made possible through tax credit funds. Theproject is a direct result of a national initiative of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Their campaign, Prevent Injuries America!®, is aimed at reducing musculoskeletal injuries. In 2003, there were 465,000 playground-related injuries treated in the U.S.

on hand to share information about playground safety. When asked how he felt about receiving the playground, Stephen Trejo, principal of C.E. Rose replied, “We are very lucky”.

Playground Design Day, December 9th, marked the kick-off of this local project. At C.E. Rose Elementary, located at 710 W. Michigan, kids and adults from the school community participated in exercises designed by the KaBOOM! staff to determine what equipment and colors the children would most like, as well as rules for

C.E. Rose Elementary is a TUSD school with approximately 500 children in grades K-5. The school has been serving the community since 1948. C.E. Rose Elementary was recognized as one of the five top Reading First schools in the State of Arizona in the 2003-2004 school year.

playground use.

Lawrence R. Housman, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon and President of Tucson Orthopaedic Institute, officials from KaBOOM!, Michael Duran, President, Tucson Medical Center Foundation, and C.E. Rose children and staff were

Tucson Orthopaedic Institute doctors are concerned not only about broken bones resulting from playground accidents, but also about those children who do not have the benefit of healthy play. They see many adults who now suffer from bone and joint disease because they did not establish exercise as part of their lifestyle in their formative years. Building this play space for the C.E. Rose community demonstrates Tucson Orthopaedic Institute’s continuing commitment to the importance of play and exercise in building healthy bones and healthy people.

Home | Privacy Policies | Disclaimer