Transforming Care
The Mayerson Center Brings Agencies Together
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| As represented in this photograph, a police officer observes a social worker interviewing a child in the Mayerson Center. |
Despite progress in legislation, increased public awareness and prevention efforts, children in our community continue to be abused and neglected at alarming rates. Between 1998 and 2002 the number of child abuse and neglect victims in Ohio doubled – from 24,998 to 50,140. By 2005 the state ranked ninth in the nation at 17.4 victims per 1,000 children. This rapid increase in reported abuse and neglect compelled Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to find new ways to evaluate and treat this troubling problem.
Taking Action
The Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, which opened in 2001, has successfully transformed the way abused and neglected children receive care. "We recognized it was a challenge for agencies and groups to communicate, so we have created a structure so everyone can work together," says Robert Shapiro, MD, medical director of the Mayerson Center. Specialists from multiple agencies are housed together, and the result is a center with comprehensive services in one state-of-the-art facility.
Social workers, caseworkers, physicians, nurses and law enforcement officers work together in the best interests of every abused and neglected child. "The Mayerson Center meets our community's needs while respecting the seriousness and sensitivity of the health needs of these kids," says Frank Putnam, MD, director of the center.
Measuring Results
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| Since 2001 more than 7,000 children have been evaluated and treated for abuse and neglect at The Mayerson Center. The figures below do not include children seen in the Emergency Department or evaluated in inpatient settings at Cincinnati Children's. |
Since the Mayerson Center opened, staff and patients have seen reduced waiting times, fewer Emergency Department visits and a more inviting process for kids. "Children come to the center and tell their story to one person, not over and over again like they had to do before," explains Heidi Malott, LISW, clinical manager of the Mayerson Center. Concealed electronic equipment for evidence-taking has eliminated the need for children to disclose their abuse in multiple interviews. And on-site clinical facilities allow health care providers with specialized training to conduct physical evaluations that stand up to court scrutiny.
To provide comprehensive services that are needed, the Mayerson Center requires approximately $1.3 million from Cincinnati Children's each year, little of which is reimbursed.
Beyond Treatment to Training
The care provided for abused and neglected children also includes training for professionals from other agencies in the use of evidence-based practices. Working with The Childhood Trust, a collaboration between Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Putnam established the Trauma Treatment Training Center.
Between 2003 and the first quarter of 2006 Dr. Putnam and his staff trained 230 clinicians in 19 separate, free workshops. "We are raising the bar in treating and preventing child abuse throughout Greater Cincinnati by showing others how to improve their practices," he says. Training also includes forensic interviewing skills and evidence collection techniques.
A New Beginning
The integration of direct care, professional training and leading-edge research makes the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children a comprehensive advocacy center with a scope that is unmatched anywhere else in the country.
