KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Children and teenagers in the Monadnock Region who may have experienced sexual abuse now have access to specialized medical care closer to home.

Cheshire Medical Center has opened the Compassionate Care & Advocacy Clinic at its Family & Community Care facility on the hospital’s West Campus, according to a news release. The clinic began seeing patients in May and is designed to provide specialized evaluations for pediatric and adolescent patients who may have been sexually abused or exposed to unsafe sexual situations.

The clinic provides forensic examinations performed by specially trained medical providers. Those visits can identify injuries and give children and their trusted adults an opportunity to ask questions and receive connections to additional services, including mental health support.

The new service addresses a significant gap in care across the region. Before the clinic opened, specialized forensic examinations for pre-pubescent children were not available locally, meaning families often had to travel outside the Monadnock Region.

In 2024, 48 children from Cheshire County were referred elsewhere for forensic examinations. Transportation costs, financial difficulties and other logistical challenges meant some families chose not to pursue the exams.

“As the largest healthcare provider in the region, we knew we had to step up and meet this crucial need,” said Lindsey Cushing, director of Medical Forensic Care and an OBGYN nurse practitioner at Cheshire Medical Center, in the release.

Cushing said the clinic is intended to provide children with care focused on their health, safety and recovery.

National estimates indicate that about one in four girls and one in 20 boys experience sexual abuse. In roughly 90% of cases, the person responsible is someone the child or family already knows and trusts.

The effects of abuse can extend well beyond the initial trauma. Children who experience abuse can struggle with trust and feelings of safety, while untreated trauma can contribute to depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also increase the likelihood of substance misuse and some long-term physical health problems.

Cheshire’s clinic operates in partnership with Dartmouth Health’s Child Advocacy and Protection Program, known as CAPP. Reports and concerns involving possible child abuse are reviewed by the centralized CAPP team, which determines how quickly a medical evaluation is needed and where the child should be seen.

Depending on the circumstances, patients may be scheduled at the new Cheshire clinic or another appropriate location.

Referrals can come from pediatricians, family medicine providers, child welfare agencies and the Child Advocacy Center of Cheshire County.

The clinic is part of the continued expansion of Cheshire Medical Center’s Medical Forensic Care program. The team includes five nurse practitioners and one registered nurse trained to provide forensic care to people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and other forms of abuse.

Most of the team’s patients are treated through the Emergency Department, although the providers also respond to inpatient cases and consult with medical providers in outpatient settings. The team conducts approximately 20 to 30 forensic examinations each year and provides consultation on another 20 to 30 cases.

Cheshire Medical Center is funding the new clinic and received a three-year, $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. The grant supports efforts including specialized training for pediatric forensic examiners and on-call coverage for forensic examiners working in the Emergency Department.

More information about the Compassionate Care & Advocacy Clinic is available at cheshiremed.org/pediatrics/compassionate-care-advocacy-clinic. Providers seeking appointments or referrals can contact CAPP at 653-3658.