Contact: Elaina Spalt
618-833-6488 (CMRN)

SIU Med School and DCFS Co-Sponsors Child Abuse Conference

Child abuse and neglect will be the topic of a medical education conference offered at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, November 15, at the Rend Lake Season’s Recreation and Conference Center in Whittington, Illinois. It is open to physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well as allied health professionals.

The program is jointly sponsored by the Department of Pediatrics at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The course director is Dr. Deanna St. Germain, SIU assistant professor of pediatrics and medical director of Children’s Medical Resource Network in Anna.

Guest faculty include Dr. Leila Keltner, medical director of the child abuse response and evaluation services in Portland, Ore. She begins the conference with two presentations -- “Emotional Abuse and Neglect of Children” (8:30 a.m.) and “Sexual Abuse of Boys” (10:15 a.m.).

Dr. Mark Nunes, genetic specialist at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children in Northern, Va., will present “Metabolic Bone Disease in Abuse Evaluations”

(1:15 p.m.). The remaining sessions are “Talking with Children About Abuse: Understanding the Forensic Interview” (3 p.m.) and “Healing the Healer” (4 p.m.).

The course meets the requirements for 7 hours of credit through SIU in category 1 toward the AMA Physicians Recognition Award and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Registration is $80 and is available at the door. For more information or to register in advance, call the Children’s Medical Resource Network in Anna, 618-833-6488.

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NOTE: Media interviews are best scheduled during lunch at noon and the breaks at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.