BRISTOL – A partnership with a local agency is helping to train resident physicians at ETSU’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine in how to better recognize sexual abuse in children.
ETSU Family Physicians of Bristol is partnering with the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Sullivan County, and Bristol/Washington County, Va., by serving as medical consultants and members of the investigative teams, which include social workers, prosecutors, police officers, and other officials involved in the cases.
In addition, the ETSU physicians are also performing the forensic examinations of children who have been abused.
“Very often, it is the primary care setting where child sexual abuse is detected, so it is vital that we train our physicians t-o be especially diligent in noticing the symptoms and warning signs,” said Dr. Burt Banks, program director of ETSU Family Physicians of Bristol.
“Our residency program is unique across the country in offering formalized training in this area. We appreciate the support of Children’s Advocacy in making this possible.”
The partnership has attracted the attention of the Department of Criminal Justice Services for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which has appointed Banks as a medical representative of the southwest region to the Virginia Forensic Medical Work Group.
Convened by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, the committee is composed of attorneys and medical professionals whose task it is to improve the medical response to child physical and sexual abuse, to improve the investigation and prosecution of those cases, and ultimately to establish regional centers throughout the Commonwealth that would be staffed with professionals specializing in child abuse and neglect.
“Having Dr. Banks and the ETSU residents on our team has meant we can have trained doctors easily available when physical exams need to be performed,” said Kathi Roark, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol/Washington County. “They play a critical role on our multidisciplinary investigation teams, and we are especially pleased by the service this partnership provides for the larger picture down the road as ETSU will graduate more physicians with expert training in detecting and understanding child sexual abuse.”
“Oftentimes the evidence gathered by the physician may mean the difference in whether or not a child has to testify in court.

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