Danbury Hospital Sponsors Child Abuse Prevention Conference

DANBURY — Danbury Hospital’s sixth annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference will be held May 28, 7:30 am to 4 pm, at the Hospital’s John C. Creasy Center for Health Education auditorium, 24 Hospital Avenue. “Parenting and Child Abuse Prevention” and “Youth Violence Prevention” are among the topics to be presented by a panel of distinguished speakers.

The conference, sponsored by Danbury Hospital Department of Pediatrics, is open to physicians, other health and human service professionals, and the community, according to Jack Fong, MD, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Danbury Hospital. “We invite all community members to participate in these events. The collective will and action of every citizen of our greater Danbury region is the key to the success of child abuse prevention,” said Dr Fong.

The conference kicks off on May 27, with a dinner featuring Dr Hunter (Patch) Adams as guest speaker at The Inn at Ethan Allen in Danbury. His topic will be “What Is Your Love Strategy?” Dr Adams is a physician, author, professional clown, and former director of the Gesundheit Institute in Arlington, Va. As founder of the Gesundheit Institute in 1971, he was instrumental in creating a service model of health care as an alternative to the traditional business model of medicine. The institute is a nonprofit, holistic health care community that reflects Dr Adams’ philosophy of generosity, compassion, and an abundance of humor.

The institute has provided free medical care to thousands of patients. Dr Adams has maintained his quest to humanize health care throughout his 35-year medical career. A major motion picture, Patch Adams starring Robin Williams, is based on Dr Adams’ life.

The conference agenda continues the next day, May 28, with:

“When a Kid Becomes a Dog’s Worst Enemy: Juvenile Animal Abuse,” presented by Dr Mary E. Muscari;

“Postpartum Depression and Increased Risk for Child Maltreatment,” presented by Dr Kathleen Kendall-Tackett;

“Youth Violence Prevention: Halting Yet Another Form of Child Abuse,” presented by Dr Mary E. Muscari;

“Abusive Head Trauma in Infants,” presented by Dr Carole A. Jenny;

“Parenting and Child Abuse: Some Conundrums,” presented by Dr Charles Herrick;

“MIT in Child Abuse Prevention,: presented by multidisciplinary investigative team members.

A question and answer session will follow.

Both the dinner reception and the conference are open to the community. Cost for the reception is $50. Cocktails are at 6 pm, followed by dinner at 6:45 pm. The conference registration fee includes lunch, refreshments and course materials; $60 for physicians and $35 for nurses, residents, students, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and others.

Preregistration is required for both events. For additional information, brochure request, or to register, call Marjie Szep at the Danbury Hospital Department of Pediatrics, 797-7940, or fax to 792-2173.