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Press Releases
Posted: Dec. 2003
South Carolina Children's Hospital Collaborative Receives $ 1.1 Million Grant from the Duke Endowment to Establish a Statewide Medical Response System for the assessment and treatment of child abuse.
CHARLESTON, SC -- The South Carolina Children's Hospital Collaborative is pleased to announce the award of a $1.1 million dollar grant from the Duke Endowment. The SC Children's Hospital Collaborative, in partnership with the South Carolina Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, will use the grant funds to establish a statewide medical response service network for the assessment and treatment of child abuse.
The South Carolina Children's Hospital Collaborative is comprised of the four children's hospitals in South Carolina; MUSC Children's Hospital, Palmetto Health Children's Hospital, Greenville Children's Hospital, and McLeod Children's Hospital. A non-profit corporation, the SC Children's Hospital Collaborative works to improve children's healthcare services through improved coordination of existing services, effective advocacy, and the creation of services for areas of need. The South Carolina Network of Children's Advocacy Centers represents the eleven children's advocacy centers in currently in operation in South Carolina. Five of these centers have existing partnerships with the state's children's hospitals.
Child abuse is a serious problem in South Carolina. Over 7,000 cases were confirmed last year, and the number of confirmed cases is expected to rise in subsequent years. Of particular concern is the shortage of medical practitioners with forensic medical training. The limited availability of services leaves many children without timely access to forensic medical examinations. The delay, often as long as several weeks, can be disastrous, resulting in the loss of medical evidence or the missed diagnosis of child abuse.
The following objectives have been set for the statewide medical response service network:
- Provide forensic medical examinations, in a Child Advocacy Center or pediatric emergency room, to all children who are victims of abuse or suspected abuse within 24 - 72 hours of the report of abuse.
- Ensure that forensic medical services are succeeded by a referral to a Child Advocacy Center offering integrated health, legal, and protective services.
- Increase the number of forensically trained medical practitioners in South Carolina.
- Develop standards of care and appropriate protocols for pediatric forensic medical services.
For more information on child abuse, visit any of the following Web sites.
Child Advocacy Center concept: www.nca-online.org/features.html
SC Child Abuse statistics: www.childrenstrustfundsc.org/investigations.html
SC Dept. of Social Services: www.state.sc.us/dss/
Prevent Child Abuse-South Carolina: www.pcasc.org/
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Other News Sources
MUSC Children's Hospital Press Releases
2003 NACHRI Press Releases
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