Vital Signs Volume 8, Issue 1 | Page 2

Vital Signs Vital Signs is brought to you by the physicians of the Greater Louisville Medical Society. It is a free health and wellness publication intended for educating patients on important medical health topics. Vital Signs Team David Watkins, MD Vital Signs Adviser Russell A. Williams, MD GLMS President James Patrick Murphy, MD GLMS President-Elect Lelan Woodmansee, CAE GLMS Executive Director Bert Guinn, MBA, CAE GLMS Chief Communications Officer Ellen R. Hale GLMS Communications Associate Kate Allen GLMS Communications Designer GLMS Mission Promote the science, art and profession of medicine; Protect the integrity of the patient-physician relationship; Advocate for the health and well-being of the community; Unite physicians regardless of practice setting to achieve these ends. Notice Vital Signs is published by the Greater Louisville Medical Society, 101 W. Chestnut St. Louisville, KY 40202 Phone [phone] Fax [phone] www.glms.org For more information, contact Ellen R. Hale at [phone] or [email protected]. A 4-month-old boy having a seizure arrives at the emergency department of Kosair Children’s Hospital in an ambulance. Once he is stabilized, doctors examine him and discover 13 fractures in his ribs, legs and arms. Suspecting child abuse, doctors report the case to authorities, whose investigation reveals that the baby’s father has been physically abusing him since birth. The baby’s mother admits, for the first time ever, ongoing domestic violence in their home. Sadly, situations like this are seen all too frequently by Stephen Wright, MD, a pediatrician who is the medical director at Kosair Children’s Hospital. In Kentucky, there are more than 14,000 substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect each year. About 30-40 deaths annually involve abuse and neglect – among the highest rates in the nation. Victims of child abuse often suffer from lifelong consequences. A total of 83 percent of abusers are the child’s parents or someone they know and trust – not a stranger. Dr. Wright serves as chair of the Partnership to Eliminate Child Abuse, a regional alliance of more than 300 organizations that is led by child abuse physician experts at the four children’s hospitals and four medical schools in Kentucky and Indiana. The partnership is educating all those who interact with children about child abuse prevention, including new parents, families, health care providers, teachers, day care workers, law enforcement, social workers and many others. We asked Dr. Wright what individuals can do to keep children safe. Vital Signs is underwritten by: MedicaL Society Professional Services A Greater Louisville Medical Society Company 2 Copyright 2013 The Greater Louisville Medical Society. All rights reserved. Have you enjoyed reading Vital Signs? AT&T Get healthy tweets from GLMS physicians by following @VitalSigns2Go on Twitter. Find us on Twitter @VitalSigns2Go or text follow VitalSigns2Go to 40404. Vital Signs Volume 8 • Issue 1