(0 items)
16th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
ACYF Commissioner's Award Book
Deanna M. St. Germain, DO |
IllinoisSince 1987, Dr. Deanna M. St. Germain has worked with abused and neglected children, providing specialized examinations and treatment for victims of sexual abuse, medical neglect, and physical abuse—advocating on their behalf with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the courts. In the past six years, Dr. St. Germain has become a mentor and teacher to other physicians and advanced practice nurses, establishing a network of identified medical professionals who provide expert medical assistance to child abuse victims throughout 34 counties in southern Illinois. She serves as the Medical Director of the Children's Medical Resource Network located in rural Anna, Illinois; as Medical Director and Physician Supervisor of the Union County Hospital Outpatient Health Center; and as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics for Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. When the number of child abuse cases involving parental methamphetamine abuse reached epidemic proportions in 2003, Dr. St. Germain attended several trainings and conducted over 150 hours of research to help address the problem in southern Illinois, a geographic area with more than 70 percent of all reported Illinois methamphetamine labs. She participated with Illinois State Police and with DCFS to prepare a Methamphetamine Protocol for Coordinated Investigation and Medical Evaluation. During 2004 and 2005, Dr. St. Germain presented workshops at two major methamphetamine conferences in Illinois, and, over the past three years, she has presented 45 additional trainings for community-based groups and organizations. In 2005, she joined the national initiative for Drug Endangered Children as a medical expert. As her greatest interest is meeting the needs of each individual child, Dr. St. Germain devotes the vast majority of her time to direct medical services and consultations. She has distinguished herself as both a dedicated professional and volunteer in the field of child protection and child welfare throughout her 20-year career as a physician in southern Illinois. Without question, her work has impacted positively the lives of thousands of children. |