Child Abuse Symposium Hosted by Upland Hills Health

Dr. Barbara Knox, M.D., visited Upland Hills Health in May to educate area healthcare, law enforcement workers, social workers and EMTs on crimes against children. Her lecture centered on indentifying signs of physical and sexual abuse in children, appropriate diagnostic testing for suspected abuse, and recognizing normal variants that mimic abuse.

The Iowa County Department of Social Services organized the symposium, which 48 people attended. Dr. Knox gave very specific examples of child abuse cases and their identifying signs, and also focused on case studies of physical and sexual abuse and neglect. She educated each group in attendance about things specific to their line of work, including how to best document suspected abuse and how to phrase questions to children suspected of being abused.

“The training was really interesting. It definitely gave more insight into what to look for,” said Kathy Honerbaum, Procedure & Infusion Center R.N. at Upland Hills Health.

About 200 cases of suspected child abuse are reported in Iowa County each year. Anyone caring for a child inside or outside the home, including healthcare staff, is required to report suspected child abuse to Iowa County Social Services.

Dr. Barbara Knox is the Medical Director of the UW Children’s Hospital Child Protection Program in Madison. She cares for children who have been or are suspected of being abused and also provides medical review of child abuse cases for social services agencies and law enforcement.

The Iowa County Social Services Department encourages anyone who suspects child abuse to report the case to their office at 935-9311. After hours, cases can be reported to the Iowa County Sheriff’s Department at 935-3314.