About ThinkFirst
About us
- ThinkFirst - SIU School of Medicine is a chapter of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation, sponsored by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS).
- Started in 1989 by Dr. E. Shannon Stauffer, chair of the SIU School of Medicine Orthopaedic Surgery and Mary Kay Reed, RN, MPA - originally called Risky Business with the goal of preventing injuries through community education about the 'business and consequences of taking risks.'
- Renamed ThinkFirst in 2001, in alignment with ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation
- For more than 30 years, ThinkFirst has evolved to include current issues such as impaired and distracted driving,
child passenger safety, TBI (traumatic brain injury) awareness and helmet use.
![SIU Medicine ThinkFirst 2019 team photo](/sites/default/files/styles/uncropped_450/public/2021-10/ThinkFirst_30th%20%289%29.jpg?itok=gsQjgSMX)
Our staff
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![Danny Hicks](/sites/default/files/styles/square_270/public/2022-04/Hicks_Daniel_WEB.jpg?h=17762290&itok=J3bzt7RY)
Danny Hicks, Voice for Injury Prevention Speaker
National Child Passenger Safety Technician
Victim Impact Panel Speaker
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![Mary Kay Reed](/sites/default/files/styles/square_270/public/2022-04/Reed_Mary%20Kay_WEB.jpg?h=fbffc6a8&itok=TB-JFmbe)
Mary Kay Reed, BSN, MPA, Health Education Coordinator
National Child Passenger Safety Instructor
Retired ThinkFirst Director
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![Lori Truter](/sites/default/files/styles/square_270/public/2022-04/Truter_Lori_WEB.jpg?h=b62ab90f&itok=1YoiNy0b)
Lori Truter, MA, Health Education Coordinator
ThinkFirst for Youth/Kids Educational Speaker
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![person default image plain](/sites/default/files/styles/square_270/public/2021-12/Website%20Default%20Images_person%20default%20image%282%29_person%20default%20image%20copy.png?h=a4572881&itok=nUH7tNO7)
Jeff Conant
Contractual VIP Speaker
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![person default image plain](/sites/default/files/styles/square_270/public/2021-12/Website%20Default%20Images_person%20default%20image%282%29_person%20default%20image%20copy.png?h=a4572881&itok=nUH7tNO7)
Tony Hofmann
Contractual VIP Speaker