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In This Issue:
BWH's Annie Lewis-O'Connor speaks with medical journalist Jeanne Blake.
At a May 12 forum sponsored by Partners HealthCare and held at the Massachusetts State House, experts discussed the far-reaching consequences of domestic and sexual violence, emphasizing that the societal problem impacts not only women, but men and children as well. Additionally, the forum shone light on the fact that prevention and treatment will take many groups working closely together.
Leaders in health care, advocacy, law enforcement, education, public health and other sectors crowded a basement auditorium in the state capitol building, hearing from experts about the urgency of preventing a critical societal problem and better supporting victims and survivors.
Partners President and CEO Gary Gottlieb, MD, MBA, Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo welcomed and thanked attendees for their steadfast commitment and efforts. Medical journalist Jeanne Blake interviewed BWH's Annie Lewis-O'Connor, PhD, NP, founder and director of the hospital's Women's CARE (Coordinated Approach to Recovery and Empowerment) Clinic. Lewis-O'Connor shared her personal story of a past abusive relationship and her difficult years navigating safety while raising a young child and going to school.
When asked what care and treatment should look like in two years, Lewis-O'Connor responded: "It should be seamless. We have to create systems that work for our patients and adapt our systems to their needs, not vice versa."
Blake continued to guide the conversation with questions for panelists Samantha Wright Calero, BWH violence prevention specialist; Norma Ayala-Leong, deputy superintendent of the Boston Police Department; Stephanie Brown, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Casa Myrna; Maureen Gallagher, director of policy for Jane Doe Inc.; and Gina Scaramella, LICSW, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. Throughout the two-hour forum, many audience members shared thoughtful insights and questions.
"We need to think about the differential access that different populations have to care," said Calero. "It takes multiple stakeholders doing different things to combat domestic and sexual violence. Domestic violence, housing, homelessness, education-they are all related."
Calero added that society's conversations about domestic violence must not blame the victim, which is too often the case. "We especially need to bring men more intentionally into the conversation."