There shouldn’t be barriers to injury prevention.
That’s why Cheshire Medical Center’s Family & Community Care clinic started its Injury Prevention Resource Room, which provides free items to ensure the safety of its patients and staff. These items include gun locks, helmets, baby gates and life jackets.
The resource room—started in late 2024—gave equipment to 55 families in 2025, with 15 staff members assisting with the program.
Prevention items distributed in 2025
- Helmets: 42
- Life jackets: 30
- Lock box: 25
- Gun locks: 20
- Window guards: 18
- Cabinet locks: 15
- Outlet covers: 12
- Baby gates: 9
- Pack-and-play: 7
In addition to providing injury prevention equipment, programs like these act as a centralized hub for public safety education and have a direct impact on reducing local injuries and associated healthcare costs.
"These items are available to anyone who has a need—not just a financial one," said Annika O’Rourke, administrative supervisor for Cheshire Medical Center’s Family & Community Care clinic. "With how challenging things are right now, it’s meaningful to provide practical tools that help protect our patients and strengthen the safety of our community."
Moving forward, Cheshire aims to increase funding for the program to expand the number of items available and the number of patients and staff who can receive them.
For more information on Cheshire Medical Center’s Injury Prevention Resource Room, Family & Community Care clinic patients can call 603-354-6900