Posted on Sep 28, 2020 in
NEWSWORTHY
AccessHealth CEO Michael Dotson, Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office Child Abuse Division Chief Suzy Morton, Child Advocates of Fort Bend CEO Ruthanne Mefford, Child Advocates of Fort Bend Board President Betty Baitland and Harris Health System Forensic Nursing Program Director Sandra Sanchez. Photo by Child Advocates of Fort Bend.
Child Advocates of Fort Bend is excited to partner with AccessHealth and Harris Health System to open a medical clinic dedicated to child victims of sexual abuse. The clinic will be housed at AccessHealth in Richmond and provide sexual assault exams to children referred by Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s Children’s Advocacy Center. The agreement was executed by Harris Health and the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court.
“We are delighted to have a local clinic in Fort Bend County where children we serve at our Children’s Advocacy Center can be referred for their forensic exams, commonly referred to as sexual assault exams (SANE). AccessHealth is uniquely positioned to house the clinic. Also, because they have primary care doctors on site, if the children have other general medical needs, AccessHealth can provide those services seamlessly through their primary care physicians. This will be much more convenient and a real time-saver for the families who find it difficult to drive into the Texas Medical Center,” said Ruthanne Mefford, CEO, Child Advocates of Fort Bend.
“After three years of planning and working with Fort Bend County, Harris County Hospital District (dba Harris Health System) and Fort Bend Family Health Center (AccessHealth), our dream has finally come to fruition,” she added.
“AccessHealth is privileged to work with Child Advocates of Fort Bend,” said AccessHealth CEO Michael Dotson. “We are truly in awe of all that they do and honored to partner in this capacity.”
With the opening of this local clinic, all services for children who have disclosed sexual abuse will be available locally in Fort Bend County where these children and families live. Child Advocates of Fort Bend’s Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) refers over 200 children a year for sexual assault examinations following disclosures of sexual assault or abuse. AccessHealth has made every effort to ensure privacy and confidentiality for children and their families by locating the clinic in a private hallway in the building.
“The sexual assault exam (SANE) is a critical step in the child’s physical and emotional healing, as well as in the prosecution of criminal offenses of child abuse,” said Brian Middleton, District Attorney.
Beginning October 1st, the clinic will be staffed by Harris Health forensic nurses who will conduct medical-forensic examinations for children who are potential victims of sexual assault to gather physical evidence and documentation of physical trauma of a child believed to be the victim of a sexual assault. For more information about the medical clinic, contact Fiona Remko at fremko@cafb.org or 281-344-5112.
The clinic is located at AccessHealth, 400 Austin Street in Richmond.
