In just one year, nearly 80,000 California children are confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect according to the 2016 California Children's Report Card from the nonprofit Children Now. In an effort to prevent more childhood trauma, the Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ), a subsidiary of the California Medical Association, is offering a free online course to help physicians recognize and report child abuse and neglect.

This interactive course, approved for 1.25 continuing medical education (CME) credits, was produced by the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Sacramento, an international training, education, research and resource center dedicated to protecting children and building healthy families. It is designed for physicians who, because of their training or their practice, may not be familiar with indications of child abuse. Nurses, social workers and other health care professionals can also benefit from the training, particularly because they often have more extensive contact with patients or families.

IMQ has received a grant from the California Governor’s Office on Emergency Services to provide this training at no charge. The course is approved for CME credits, nursing continuing education units or a completion certificate for other health care professionals. Pre-registration is required. To initiate the training, click here.

Contact: Leslie Anne Iacopi, (415) 882-5167 or liacopi@imq.org.