UA Pediatrician
Receives National Honor for Her Work with Abused
Children
May 11, 2006
Contact:
Susan Guthrie
602-631-6555
Darci Slaten,
520-626-7217
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Anna Binkiewicz,
MD, professor
of clinical pediatrics with The
University of Arizona Department of Pediatrics and founding
medical director of Arizona's Child Abuse
InfoCenter, received special recognition in Washington, D.C. last month during National Crime
Victims' Rights Week. The Office for Victims of Crime honored her with the
2006 Allied
Professionals Award for dedication to bettering the lives
of children and educating professionals in the prevention and treatment of
child abuse and neglect. "Her devotion is manifested daily in the children
she treats in hospitals, shelters, and advocacy centers in the community,"
says Susie Huhn, MA,
executive director for Casa de los Niņos.
"Not only does Dr. Binkiewicz help
children, she is a master teacher and gives of her time and expertise to
share her vast knowledge with countless other professionals in the
community who work towards the protection of all children," says Jane Schorzman, senior program
coordinator at Arizona's Child Abuse InfoCenter.
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Dr Binkiewicz was instrumental in
developing procedures in Arizona to prevent child victims from being
re-traumatized by the investigative system. Dr. Binkiewicz enlisted the support
of political leaders and others who had the power to make changes to how society
treats young victims of abuse. She made strides to change the way abused
children were examined at hospital emergency rooms in an effort to obtain
forensic medical evidence. She insisted that children must not be traumatized
further by the very people who were trying to help them. Dr. Binkiewicz
convinced prosecutors that their conviction rate would be higher if
pediatricians who were trained to collect forensic evidence conducted the
medical exams. She led the way in advocating that forensically trained
professionals conduct the interviews so that child victims would only have to
tell their story one time. And she convinced community leaders that children
should have a child-friendly environment to go to when they have been
victimized.
"Dr. Binkiewicz has been a major force and
voice for children in the State of Arizona in every aspect of protecting children
from victimization," says Ms. Huhn, who nominated Dr. Binkiewicz for this honor,
with support from Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano.
# # #
Susan
Guthrie
Associate Director of Public
Affairs
The University of Arizona
College of Medicine -
Phoenix
4001 N. Third Suite, Suite
415
sguthrie@email.arizona.edu
Follow this link to learn more about the
expansion of the UA College of Medicine in
Phoenix.