EL CENTRO In the Community

Dr. Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda of the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies’ Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research: El Centro, led a 3 hour training course, “Domestic Violence and the Role of the Healthcare Provider: Assessment and Intervention Strategies” at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, FL.
The course was provided as a free service to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital staff, and participants represented a range of healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, nurse assistants, social workers, psychologists, and administrators.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern that affects 4 to 6 million relationships each year in the United States. Victims of IPV experience devastating and life changing physical, emotional, relational and financial consequences that often continue to affect them even after the abuse has stopped.

Victims are very present in the healthcare system, and research shows that victims of domestic violence utilize the healthcare system approximately 2.5 times more often than non-abused patients. The impact on the healthcare system that results from intimate partner violence is great. For this reason, healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned and can play an important role in addressing the issue of IPV by identifying victims, offering support and referring patients to community agencies.

The course is a part of a professional development program designed to improve the Healthcare Provider’s understanding of Domestic Violence and improve the response to victims and survivors. The educational objectives of the course were……

  1. To describe the impact of domestic violence on public health and the chronic health conditions strongly correlated with a history of intimate partner violence.

  2. To discuss the barriers that prevent or negatively impact intimate partner violence screening and referral and ways to remove or address these barriers.

  3. To demonstrate effective, routine screening and assessment of patients; refer those who respond affirmatively to appropriate services within healthcare services.

  4. To identify and provide patients with appropriate community resources to ensure the effective management of patients who are victims (survivors) of intimate partner violence.

This program is sponsored by The Center for Continuing and Outreach Education at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and is supported by an education grant from the Verizon Foundation, which is focused on using technology to solve critical social issues in the areas of energy-management, education, and healthcare. The program was presented in collaboration with the Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research: El Centro, and is in keeping with El Centro’s commitment to reduce health disparities in vulnerable populations