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AAP News Vol. 3 No. 2 February 1987, p. 1 © 1987 American Academy of Pediatrics
At Mt. Sinai Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, child abuse victims are treated on a special unit where they usually stay for five days with 24-hour care and observation. The Pediatric Ecology Unit at Mt. Sinai opened in February 1985 to provide comprehensive care to physically and sexually abused or neglected children. Teams consisting of a pediatrician, child psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, child life worker, social worker and nurse treat children on the 15-bed unit. Parents and siblings are encouraged to stay overnight in the unit, giving staff a greater opportunity to observe the families. Today, the Pediatric Ecology Unit serves as a prototype for what other hospitals can do to help prevent child abuse.
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