UW Health to expand domestic violence resources in Rockford
A $1 million state grant to UW Health will pay for experts in domestic violence and strangulation and expand services to assist survivors who come to the SwedishAmerican Hospital emergency room.
More than half of survivors who seek services at the Rockford Family Peace Center report that they were choked or strangled, which research shows makes them 700% more likely to die at the hands of an abuser, said Jennifer Cacciapaglia, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention.
“The sooner we identify those who have experienced domestic violence, the sooner we can help,” Cacciapaglia said. “Thanks to this new partnership, we will have more experts onsite to focus on providing that support and more resources to offer community members who need it.”
Hospital personnel will direct domestic violence survivors to proper medical care, testing and resources, and could collect evidence useful in a prosecution as part of a new partnership with the city of Rockford announced Wednesday during a news conference at City Hall.
Funds also will be used to expand domestic violence training and education for hospital staff.
When a victim of domestic violence comes into the emergency room they are suffering “under the worst of circumstances,” said UW Health Northern
Illinois CEO Travis Andersen. The grant will allow the hospital to expand resources to help them.
“We will have two additional staff in our emergency department who specialize in resources for victims of strangulation and domestic violence,” Andersen said. “It also means additional education for everyone and training opportunities for our current staff to help them better support our patients.”
Funding will pay for two experts in domestic violence who provide direct services to survivors at SwedishAmerican and a program manager to oversee operations, coordinate training and direct a strangulation task force.
“We’re often on the front lines of the worst days in our patients’ lives,” registered nurse Kim Wolgast, UW
Health Northern Illinois operational supervisor said in a news release. “With that unique perspective, we want to do everything we can to prevent a repeat of those traumatic experiences.”
Secured by state Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Loves Park, the grant is from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. Stadelman said he supported the funding because domestic violence is an issue that not only effects victims, but children, families, communities and future generations.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
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