Piedmont Walton, partners bring injury prevention education to county

Monroe, Ga. (November 10, 2026) -- Piedmont Walton Hospital and local community partners are inviting families and community members to learn simple ways to stay safe and prevent injuries during a free National Injury Prevention Day event Wednesday, November 18, at the Walton County YMCA.

The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Walton County YMCA, 1101 Double Springs Road in Monroe, and will feature safety education and resources covering a wide range of everyday injury risks.

"Injury prevention is really about helping people recognize the risks they encounter every day and giving them practical information they can use to protect themselves and their families," said Lisa Thomas, Piedmont Walton trauma program performance improvement coordinator. "We want this event to make safety education easy to access while giving families an opportunity to connect directly with the local organizations working to keep our community safe."

Throughout the afternoon, attendees can visit participating organizations to learn about injury prevention topics, including:

• Piedmont Walton Hospital: Trauma prevention, car seat safety and Safe Kids information
• Monroe Fire Department: Fire and cooking safety
• Monroe Police Department: Driver safety
• Walton EMS: Prehospital awareness
• Walton Empowers: Drug and substance abuse awareness
• Be SMART: Gun safety
• Georgia Department of Public Health: Car seat and safe sleep education
• Walton County YMCA: Water safety
• Carmichael's Pharmacy: Medication safety
• Walton County Sheriff's Office: Online safety and protection

The event will also feature "Forever Active: Joint Mobility and Fall Prevention," an educational workshop led by Craig Akoh, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Piedmont Walton. The workshop will focus on maintaining joint mobility and reducing fall risks, giving participants additional tools to help them remain active and independent.

"Preventing an injury before it happens can make an enormous difference in someone's health and quality of life," Thomas said. "Whether it's using a car seat correctly, preventing a fall, practicing water safety or safely storing medications and firearms, small actions can have a big impact. We hope people of all ages will stop by, ask questions, and leave with at least one new safety habit they can put into practice."

National Injury Prevention Day was launched to raise awareness of the significant impact of injuries and violence. Unintentional injuries and violence are the leading cause of death and disability among people ages 1 to 44 in the United States. Many serious injuries can be prevented through education, appropriate safety equipment, and other prevention efforts.