Scotland County Hospital
Scotland County Hospital announced that Tasheina R. Dale, RN, BSN, has received her certification as a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). Dale completed the national four-day certification program, which included skills testing and written exams, in Hannibal. This is a renewable two-year certification. The CPST national certification program is a partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids and State Farm Insurance.
Dale realized there was no CPST in Scotland or Clark County, so she took the initiative to complete the course. She said, “Since there was no one currently in Scotland County with the certification, I wanted to be able to offer the service to parents in the area and our patients at Scotland County Hospital & Clinics.”
As a qualified CPST, Dale is available to provide information about car seats and is certified to install car seats. In addition, she can teach parents, grandparents, babysitters, and caregivers how to properly install and use car seats. She is also available to facilitate group meetings.
The National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training Program certifies individuals as child safety technicians and instructors. Since the CPST certification program began in 1997 (the first courses were offered in 1998), more than 180,000 people have successfully completed the CPST certification course, including more than 38,000 currently certified CPS technicians. Many technicians are trained health and safety professionals, others are parents, and some are volunteers. They all have one thing in common: They care deeply about children and want to make sure they are safe.
According to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, many parents are unaware of the importance of proper use and installation of child restraints and the laws surrounding them. In 2021, 9 children under the age of eight were killed and 80 seriously injured in car crashes in Missouri. Thirty percent of children killed and seriously injured were not secured in a child safety seat or seatbelt. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children ages 1 to 13 in the United States.
Scotland County Hospital knows this provides a great service to new families and others in the area. For more information or questions about child car safety, contact Dale at Memphis Medical Services at 660-465-2828.
