| Northwest Hospital Center has received a grant from the state of Maryland for the development of a Family Violence Program to facilitate routine screening for domestic violence within the Emergency department and hospital-wide.
The grant will fund the hiring of a family violence coordinator and supplement the Randallstown hospital�s efforts to enhance the services provided to victims, including its Women�s Relationship Support Group, which started meeting in the spring of 2001.
We know that women seek medical attention for injuries related to domestic violence and, as a community hospital, we are often the first responder to victims of domestic violence,� says Sue Jalbert, vice president of Patient Services at Northwest. We have a unique opportunity to offer support and resources to family members who are victims of violence related to domestic issues.�
Domestic violence is recognized as a major public health concern. In addition to physical and emotional devastation, violence increases women�s long-term risk of a number of health problems including chronic pain, physical disability, drug and alcohol abuse and depression.
By providing early identification, complete documentation, crisis intervention and continuing support services to victims of family violence, medical settings can provide a crucial refuge from violence for women and children,� adds Jalbert.
The family violence program is expected to begin full operations in December.
Northwest Hospital Center is a member of LifeBridge Health, a regional health organization, which includes Sinai Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, and related subsidiaries and affiliates.
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