Houston – April 20, 2012 – Rosie Valadez-McStay, director of government and community relations at Texas Children’s Hospital, is one of four statewide award recipients of the 2012 J.C. Montgomery, Jr. Child Safety Award for outstanding work in implementing safety initiatives which prevent developmental disabilities caused by brain injury.
Valadez McStay received her award today at 10 a.m. in the Lieutenant Governor’s reception room at the Texas State Capitol.
Through The Texas Office for the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities (TOPDD), Child Safety and Injury Prevention Task Force, TOPDD presents this award annually to outstanding child safety leaders. Ashley Givens, of Scottish Rite Hospital and chair of the Task Force committee said “Ms. Valadez McStay is an outstanding leader. Among the numerous, diverse programs that her team organizes through Texas Children’s Center for Childhood Injury Prevention are Safe Kids Greater Houston and the Kohl’s Safe at Home infant safe sleep initiative, as well as ongoing child passenger safety seat inspections, free bike helmet distributions to low-income kids and safety education classes to adults and children in such areas as safe cycling, pedestrian safety, and water safety.”
Dr. Richard Garnett, the chairperson of TOPDD’s Executive Committee commented that “most people assume that developmental disabilities are not preventable, but brain injuries can be prevented with a few simple safety precautions. When we consider the impact of brain injury, fetal alcohol exposure; nutritional deficiencies; lack of prenatal care, pre-term deliveries and child abuse and neglect, there is a lot that we can all do to prevent developmental disabilities. TOPDD is about engaging people in this important work.”
Co-sponsors of the program include the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas and State Senator Chris Harris, the highest ranking Republican in the Texas Senate. The award is named for leading child’s safety advocate J.C. Montgomery, Jr. of Scottish Rite Hospital.
Other 2012 winners of the J.C. Montgomery, Jr. Award include:
• The Frisco Fire Department’s Frisco Fire Safety Town community education program.
• Cindy Healy, Physical Education teacher at Gattis Elementary School in Round Rock.
• The Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program.
About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is
committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in
patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top
children’s hospitals in the nation, Texas Children’s has recognized Centers of
Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart
Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the
country. Texas Children's has completed a $1.5 billion expansion, which
includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas
Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility
focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a
community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information on
Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org.
Get the latest news from Texas Children’s by visiting the online newsroom and on
Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.
