Community Plants Pinwheel Garden in Recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month
Atrium Health Navicent Crescent House, a service of Atrium Health Levine Children’s Beverly Knight Olson Children's Hospital, joined with community partners Tuesday to plant a pinwheel garden as a visual recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month. The pinwheels, planted at the corner of Spring and Pine streets in front of Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, will remain on display throughout the month of April.
“Children are our most valuable resource, and they also are our most vulnerable,” said Crescent House Director Kemberlie Sanderson. “All children have a right to be safe and an opportunity to grow up in an environment that fosters healthy development. That’s why it’s so important that we call attention to child abuse this month and learn how we can work together to recognize and prevent child abuse in central Georgia.”
Georgia ranks 38th in the United States for child well-being, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Nationally, an estimated 1 in 4 girls, and 1 in 13 boys have experienced child abuse.
The Crescent House is central Georgia’s children's advocacy center, specializing in providing services to children who have been physically and/or sexually abused. Using state-of-the-art equipment, a multidisciplinary team that includes a nurse practitioner, forensic pediatrician, forensic interviewers, a victim advocate and a child life specialist provide care for children who have suffered abuse and/or neglect.
Crescent House recently expanded its therapy offerings thanks to generous donations received from the community. Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital has also increased the number of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners on staff in the hospital’s 24/7 pediatric emergency room. These nurses are specially trained to work with children who have been sexually abused, and their availability prevents children from having to be seen in an adult emergency room to receive the same services.
“As the only facility to provide around-the-clock support for children in central and south Georgia, Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital stands ready to help with a staff and facility tailored specifically to provide health care for children, whatever their need may be,” said Diana Sutton, chief nursing officer for Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital.
For more information about services for children, visit https://childrenshospitalnh.org.
About Atrium Health Navicent
Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of health care in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent is part of Advocate Health, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 130-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationallyrecognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.