Published on February 26, 2010
Dr. Harre First In Iowa To Receive Child Abuse and Neglect Certification
After years of dedication to area children, Barbara Harre, M.D., has become the first and only pediatrician in Iowa to receive board certification in the new medical subspecialty Child Abuse and Neglect.
The American Board of Pediatrics approved the new subspecialty in 2006, with the first exams offered last November. The exam covered 21 topics, ranging from the social and cultural contexts of child abuse, head trauma, musculoskeletal injuries to sexual abuse, neglect, child fatalities, and drug-endangered children.
To qualify for the pioneering certification, a physician must have completed accredited residency training in general pediatrics and specialized training in the field of child abuse and neglect.
Dr. Harre, who also serves as Scott County Medical Examiner, began her child protection efforts a decade ago in response to a growing community need. Too often, children living in the Quad Cities who had been physically or sexually abused had to go to other cities for help, or were not being sent at all, due to a lack of resources. In her first seven years as a pediatrician, her interest in child abuse grew, mostly because she felt her education and training had left her unprepared to recognize and respond to it.
Her voice for abused children eventually led to dedicated medical assessment services. Rhonda Curl, a certified Child Advocate, joined her in 2001, and the two have been a team ever since.
"A lot of times, kids will reveal something to a doctor that they may not say to someone else," Dr. Harre says. "We assure them: ‘We're here to find out if something is hurt to help you feel better.' We have an incredible responsibility to protect that trust."
Today, the Child Protection Response Clinic, located on the Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street campus in Davenport, is part of a Scott County response team that mobilizes when a child is being mistreated. The clinic works with law enforcement, child protection services, physicians, state and county prosecutors and other health care professionals who deal with cases of possible abuse and neglect.
The clinic offers specialty-trained physical exams, including child and adolescent genital exams when sexual abuse is suspected, and injury pattern documentation.
Other services include forensic photographic documentation, in-depth psychosocial assessments of children and families, hair sample collection for suspected drug exposure, medical record reviews, and courtroom testimony, if needed. Further screening for emotional and behavior concerns and appropriate medication support, when needed, is also addressed. The clinic has videotaping facilities for forensic interviews.
When appropriate, the clinic makes referrals to child protection, law enforcement and mental health and substance abuse services.
