GREENFIELD — Greenfield’s new Child Advocacy Center will now have one more service under its roof: a fully-equipped medical examination room.
That room has now been stocked with equipment and supplies like cotton balls, tongue depressors, gloves and other exam room necessities through a donation from Baystate Health Systems.
The donations total about $5,000, according to Irene Woods, the center’s director.
Lynda Zukowski, director of clinical services for Baystate Franklin Medical Center, said the center’s been up and running on Wisdom Way for a few months, and the donation will help complete it.
“It’s supplies for doing pediatric exams on patients — looking in their ears, listening to their heart, looking in their eyes and some further exams,” she said.
Woods said Dr. Stephen Boos of Baystate Medical Center will come to the center twice a month to see patients that have allegations of physical or sexual abuse.
Some of the room’s machinery is designed to examine victims of suspected sexual abuse without being physically intrusive, Woods said. That’s crucial in minimizing the risk of re-traumatizing a child, she said.
Having such a capacity within Franklin County also reduces the distance suspected abuse victims must travel.
“The physical abuse, sexual abuse they had to travel either to Springfield or Worcestor — that’s a 100- to 150-mile round trip out of their community,” she said. “Now, they can be seen right at the house so they can come back to a place they’re already familiar with to receive their services.”
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261 ext 264,
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