4 minute read
Powerful Tool to Fight Child Abuse
BY MARY ANN LITTELL
The statistics are devastating: one in three females and one in 20 males will encounter sexual abuse or sexual assault by the time they’re 17 years old. The notion that any adult would commit such a horrific act defies belief. “Sadly, it happens in all communities and at all levels of society,” says Patricia Morgan, MD’95.
Morgan specializes in child abuse, making it her life’s mission to help children who are victims of maltreatment and neglect. “Unfortunately, child abuse and maltreatment are prevalent in inner-city areas,” says Morgan. “I want to help these children. And just as important, I want to teach kids how to protect themselves.”
Morgan chose her career path 25 years ago as a pediatric resident, when she saw the traumatizing effects of child abuse. Her career has taken her from Newark, NJ, to Charlotte, NC, then across the country to Tacoma, WA, and ultimately, to Hawaii, where she currently lives and practices. She is medical director for the Kapi’olani Child Advocacy and Protection (KCAP) Center, part of the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children, located in beautiful Honolulu.
Growing up in Teaneck, NJ, Morgan knew she wanted to be a pediatrician by the age of 11. Earning straight A’s in high school, she was accepted into the joint BS/MD program at Howard University. Initially she planned to stay at Howard for medical school, but a death in the family propelled her home. She enrolled at NJMS. “Our class broke the record for the highest number of underrepresented students,” she says. “NJMS was a great place to learn. The faculty and staff were always so encouraging.”
After completing a pediatrics residency in 1999, she joined the staff of the Children’s Hospital Abuse Management Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. As this program grew, she was named medical director in 2005.
In 2008 she relocated to Charlotte, NC, taking a position as a child abuse pediatrician at Levine Children’s Hospital, where she served as medical director for 11 years. “That was a great time in my career,” she says. “But when COVID came, it changed my mindset about life. I decided I wanted to live differently. I wanted to work differently.”
In 2021 she learned about an opportunity to relocate to Hawaii. “In my desire for change, this was as different as it was going to get,” she says. “I’m part of a wonderful community. My work here is rewarding and I truly feel that this is where I’m supposed to be at this time of my life. As an added plus, I get to look at the water every day.”
The conversations she’s had behind closed doors with patients and families inspired her to write a book for children. “One way to prevent sex abuse is by teaching kids about body safety,” she says. “But by the time I see children who are victims of abuse, we may have missed the initial opportunity to teach them, and their parents, about prevention. I realized that it was important to bring this information out of the exam room and share it with other kids.”
So she wrote her book, found an illustrator, and then a publisher (Palm Enterprises LLC). “The Doctor Says: Let’s Talk About Body Safety” is available through independent and major book retailers, as well as the book’s website, www.TheDoctorSays.info.
“The book teaches empowerment to children in a child-friendly way,” she says. The main character, a female doctor based on Morgan herself, explains what parts of the body are private (what’s covered by a bathing suit), and tells children what to do if someone violates that privacy. “I teach them how to say no, and how to be brave and tell an adult.”
She has written different versions of the book for different audiences, including African American girls and boys. A third book features a Hawaiian child, and a fourth is in the works for the Latinx population.
Her work isn’t easy. “There are cases that are so sad, challenging and just plain hard,” she says. “But I am happy that I’m able to help patients. It also helps to work with a dedicated group of professionals who advocate for these children.
“Kids need to know that they have a voice too,” she adds.
