More than 100 children are abused in the United States every hour, according to Child Abuse Prevention Services; and approximately one child will die every six-and-a-half hours due to abuse or neglect.
In response to these staggering numbers, Nancy Kellogg, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Health Science Center, and colleagues have created a child abuse and neglect assessment center. The Center for Miracles at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital will open in May 2006.
“While many facilities and clinics evaluate children who are suspected victims of abuse, there is an urgent need for comprehensive assessments that address not only the safety needs, but also the medical, mental health and developmental needs of these children,” Dr. Kellogg said. Dr. Kellogg is the medical director of the new center. “The Center for Miracles will serve as a single place for conducting accurate and complete assessments that are vital in child abuse investigations.”
The center is designed to work closely with Child Protective Services (CPS), physicians and law enforcement. “Most of the evaluations we receive will be based on referrals from one of these entities.”
Mental, medical and developmental health assessments are part of the comprehensive exams. Through the Medical Consultant Project, experts at the center are available to read and interpret previous medical records, assess medical fragility of children in CPS custody and examine the probability of abuse in cases when it’s not possible to evaluate children in person.
“After our assessment, we can then refer children to various specialists and programs to meet their specific needs,” Dr. Kellogg said. “Our goal is for these children to stay healthy and safe.”
The center will be equipped so that personnel can provide video testimony to the Bexar County Children’s Court using on-site tele-conferencing. Dr. Kellogg said there is also potential in the future to provide this to surrounding regional CPS offices that request medical consultation.
