Hap Gerrish Injury Prevention Resources
Since 1981, the Kiwanis Foundation of New England and Tufts Medical Center have partnered to provide essential injury prevention resources. Together, we work to protect children by offering families and communities the tools and education needed to prevent accidents and create safer environments for kids.
diverse children

Helping kids stay safe + healthy

The Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI) is part of Tufts Medicine Pediatrics. We work hard to keep kids safe by:

  • Creating innovative injury prevention programs for families
  • Supporting research and education for medical, nursing and injury prevention professionals

KPTI’s mission goes beyond treating injuries—we help stop them before they happen. We’re focused on advancing care, training future professionals and reaching communities through safety outreach and education.

What are unintentional injuries?

Unintentional injuries—also called accidents—are things like car crashes, drowning, suffocation, poisoning, fires and falls. These are the top cause of serious injury and death in kids across the U.S. But most of these injuries can be prevented.

Working together to prevent injuries

We share safety tips and tools with families who have children from birth to age 14. We also teach medical personnel, injury prevention coordinators, caregivers, childcare providers, educators and community organizations how to help keep kids safe.

When we all work together, we can help more kids grow up strong, healthy and safe.
Contact us
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Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute
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Tufts Medical Center
800 Washington St #344
Boston, MA 02111

Our partner organizations

Kiwanis Foundation of New England

Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI)

Honoring Dr. Hap Gerrish

Dr. Harold T. “Hap” Gerrish helped start the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute (KPTI). He spent his life helping others and making a big difference in his community.

Dr. Gerrish joined the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft in 1957. He became club president in 1965, and a few years later, he helped lead 22 Kiwanis clubs in Maine. He also served as Governor of the New England District of Kiwanis in 1991–1992. For 28 years, he was part of the Kiwanis Foundation of New England and served as its president from 1981–1983.

He was honored many times for his service. His name is shown at Kiwanis International as a three-time Tablet of Honor recipient, one of the highest awards in Kiwanis. He was also a Life Member of Kiwanis, a George F. Hixon Fellow and a 49-year member of the Legion of Honor.

Dr. Gerrish earned his dental degree from Tufts University in 1955. While in dental school, he played first violin for the Boston Pops under Arthur Fiedler. He later served as a U.S. Army paratrooper and ran a dental clinic at Fort Bragg. He also trained at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Gerrish served on the board at Tufts-New England Medical Center for over 20 years. He passed away on June 29, 2006, at his home in Bowerbank, Maine. He was 76 years old.

We remember Dr. Gerrish for his kindness, leadership and lasting impact on children’s health and safety.
Hap Gerrish
Dr. Harold T. "Hap" Gerrish

Child safety community + resources

Water safety

Every day in the U.S., about nine people die from drowning—not including boating accidents—according to Injury Facts®, the National Safety Council’s yearly report on unintentional injuries.
Pool + home water safety
Swim + boat safety
Drowning facts + prevention

Bicycle + youth sports safety

Tips for preventing bike injuries, fitting helmets the right way and staying safe from sports-related concussions.
Bike safety
Youth sports safety

Car seat safety

Car seats and booster seats help protect kids in a crash, but car crashes are still one of the leading causes of death for kids ages 1 to 13. That’s why it’s super important to pick the right car seat and use it correctly every time your child is in the car.
Car seat safety, selection + installation
Child passenger safety

Burns + fire safety

This list of fire prevention resources for families and kids includes fun materials and safety tips to help children learn why fire safety is so important.
Cooking safety tips
Prevent fires from lighters and matches
Burns and scalds
Halloween fire safety tips

Safe sleep for infants

This list of resources on sleep safety for infants provides essential guidelines and expert advice on creating a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of SUID and promote healthy sleep habits.
Safe to Sleep®
Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID)

Bullying + violence prevention

These bullying prevention resources offer support, tools, and strategies to help create safer environments for kids. They provide useful guidance for schools, parents and communities to stop bullying and keep kids safe.
Bullying resources

Teen driver safety

Distracted driving, especially using a cellphone, greatly increases the risk of crashes. Texting or messing with your phone is especially dangerous. Learn how to reduce these distractions and stay safe on the road.
Distracted driving

Other safety information

Injury prevention resources include information on the dangers of swallowing button batteries, a list of recalled products, and a family safety activity book for kids ages 5 to 8 to help them learn about safety at home, while playing and on the road.
General information
Hazards of button batteries
Recalled product list
Safety activity books for children