The Long Island Regional Poison Control Center (LIRPCC) at Winthrop University Hospital (WUH) is a comprehensive resource center staffed by registered nurses, pharmacists, and physicians with specialized training in toxicology, who provide information and advice on toxins that affect humans, animals, and the environment. The center is one of 6 designated Poison Control Centers in New York State and one of 38 Regional Poison Control Centers in the US certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Regional Poison Control Centers have proven to be life-saving and offer immediate consultation to physicians for managing poisoning cases. The centers have built in cost containment, participate in important poison prevention activities and provide a vital community service.

The role of the poison center involves coordination of care of the poisoned patient from the point of exposure in the field (prehospital) with EMS personnel and Hazmat teams, through transfer to a poison treatment center hospital. Consultation with physicians in emergency departments, intensive care units and general inpatient ward settings is provided. A 4-6 week toxicology rotation through the center is a part of a medical school curriculum, and many primary care residency rotations, including Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine.

The staff collects epidemiologic data on poisoning and overdoses, responds to clinical problems, provides consultation on environmental contaminants, predicts trends in substance abuse, monitors and alerts the community about industrial, household and pharmaceutical products that produce adverse reactions, and performs research. The LIRPCC provides consultations on environmental hazards and works closely with both the Nassau and Suffolk County Health Departments and Hazmat teams.

The Center also serves as the Primary Lead Resource Center on Long Island. It comprises a Consortium of WUH, Nassau County Medical Center, North Shore University Hospital, and Stony Brook University lead programs, and Nassau and Suffolk County Departments of Health.

The Injury Prevention and Control Program is based in the Long Island Regional Poison Control Program through a grant from the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board. The Program serves:

• As a resource in injury prevention for health and education professionals, community leaders, and the public
• To educate health and education professionals, including those in training programs in Preventive Medicine and related fields, in modem concepts of injury prevention and control
• To develop and implement injury prevention projects
• To conduct community injury prevention research studies that will lead to safety promotion programs
• To work cooperatively with other community injury prevention groups