Ohio hospitals announce collaboration to prevent child abuse
Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Children's Hospital Association have announced a new collaboration to reduce the occurrence of child abuse by enlisting in pediatric practices.
Attorney General Mike DeWine and the Ohio Children's Hospital Association have announced a new collaboration to reduce the occurrence of child abuse by enlisting in pediatric practices.
The collaboration targets children six months and younger.
Eight pediatric practices across Ohio will be joining children and community hospitals in implementing proven interventions to identify potential signs of abuse. "We are grateful to be able to take our learning into a third phase to spread this valuable process even further in our state and beyond," said Nick Lashutka, President, and CEO of OCHA.
The interventions would also prevent further abuse in young and vulnerable children.
"We have some of the best minds in pediatric healthcare in the country right here in Ohio. I am proud that we could bring these minds together to identify a proven process to help children who are too young to understand their injuries or even to speak for themselves," said DeWine.
DeWine funded the Timely Recognition of Abusive Injuries Collaborative in 2015, with a $1 million grant from settlement funds to OCHA.
The purpose of TRAIN is to prevent repeat child abuse in the most vulnerable population, infants six months and younger.
The TRAIN Collaborative analyzed what medical experts call "sentinel injuries."
Sentinel injuries are minor injuries known to the medical provider that should bring about a concern that the child is being abused.
Medical experts say sentinel injuries are often missed by medical providers, which places the infant at risk for further abuse.
The collaboration has identified the specific injuries that should be suspect and developed a specific process that reduces repeat instances of child abuse.
In 2016, Ohio children's hospitals determined that one in 10 Ohio children seen for child abuse has been seen previously with a sentinel injury. Less than one in three receive the necessary physical examination and follow-up.
"Spreading this important process to more pediatricians throughout Ohio will mean more children are spared from further abuse - and that has been my goal with this program from day one," DeWine said.
