October 3, 2005
PAMF Collaborates to Increase Awareness About Domestic Violence
Nearly one-third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some time in their lives, according to a recent national survey by the Commonwealth Fund. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), in collaboration with other Sutter Health medical foundations and hospitals, has partnered with the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) to help put an end to violence against women and children.
On "Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day", held on October 12, PAMF is expanding its outreach efforts to increase awareness of domestic violence and connect patients with local resources. This effort is just one example of how doctors, nurses and other professionals across the Sutter Health network are reaching beyond their organization's walls to identify and fulfill community health needs.
"Health care providers are in a unique position to help victims of domestic violence," said Janet Lederer, vice president of PAMF's Education Division. "We encourage women who need assistance to talk with their physicians, nurses or other health care providers."
PAMF's health resource centers, located at the Palo Alto Clinic and the Fremont Center, also provide information on resources available in the local community.
As part of Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day, PAMF will have patient safety cards with phone numbers for local and national resources available in the community resource centers and primary care departments at their clinics located in Fremont, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City and Redwood Shores.
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day is a project of the FVPF's National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence. For more than two decades, the FVPF has worked to end violence against women and children around the world, because everyone has the right to a life free of violence. Instrumental in developing the landmark Violence Against Women Act passed by Congress in 1994, the FVPF has continued to break new ground by reaching new audiences including men and youth, promoting leadership within communities to ensure that violence prevention efforts become self-sustaining, and transforming the way health care providers, police, judges, employers and others respond to violence.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in both multispecialty group practice of medicine and outpatient medicine. The foundation has four health care divisions: the Palo Alto Division, the Camino Division, the Santa Cruz Division and the Palomares Division. The Palo Alto Division, staffed by 290 physicians of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, has provided a full range of care for Peninsula residents since it was founded in 1930. It operates clinics in Fremont, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City and Redwood Shores. PAMF is part of the Sutter Health family of not-for-profit medical foundations and hospitals that share resources and expertise to advance health care quality. Serving more than 100 communities in Northern California, Sutter Health is a regional leader in cardiac care as well as care of women and children, and is a pioneer in advanced patient safety technology. For more information, visit www.pamf.org.