Children's Hospital

Maryland Child Abuse Medical Providers (CHAMP)

Introduction

Medical expertise in the evaluation of child abuse and neglect is crucial. While some Maryland jurisdictions have adequate medical resources for doing so, others have less or none. The Maryland Child Abuse and Neglect Initiative was established in 2005, when the Maryland General Assembly enacted Health General Article 13-2201-2206, Annotated Code of Maryland. The Initiative was renamed Maryland CHAMP in 2008 when 13-2201-2206, Annotated Code of Maryland was amended. Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene collaborates with the University of Maryland School of Medicine to administer Maryland CHAMP.

CHAMP Activities

CHAMP's goal is to help develop medical expertise related to child maltreatment in every Maryland jurisdiction. This will be a valuable resource for evaluating suspected abuse or neglect in children, providing consultation and training to community professionals, and engaging in prevention activities.

CHAMP activities include:

Recruiting and training medical professionals in the area of child maltreatment.
Providing ongoing training and support for medical professionals working in this field.
Providing expert medical evaluations when concerns of child maltreatment arise.
Providing consultation to Child Protective Services (CPS), law enforcement, state's attorney's offices, pediatricians and other professionals.
Developing policies and practice guidelines to improve the systems' response to children and families with concerns of possible abuse or neglect.

CHAMP Leadership

Maryland CHAMP is led by a core group of faculty and includes a network of health care professionals.

The Maryland CHAMP Network is directed by:

Howard Dubowitz, MD, MS
Director, Child Protection Division and Professor of Pediatrics
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Champ Faculty:

Mesa Baker, MD
Medical Director, Baltimore Child Abuse Center
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Maryland

Mitchell Goldstein, MD, MBA
Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins

Scott Krugman, MD, MS
Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Franklin Square Hospital
Clinical Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Wendy Lane, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland

Charles Shubin, MD
Medical Director, Mercy Hospital
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Pamela Holtzinger, RN, FNE-P
SAFE Program Coordinator, Meritus Medical Center
Forensic Nurse Examiner, Frederick County Child Advocacy Center

Physicians participating in CHAMP include:

Dr. Diana Abney: Charles and St. Mary's Counties
Dr. Fayette Engstrom: Talbot County
Dr. Allen Haworth: Allegany County
Dr. Kevin Karpowicz: Talbot County
Dr. Paul Lomonico: Harford County
Dr. Karla Paylor: Baltimore and Frederick Counties
Dr. Rich Porter: Garrett County
Dr. Cynthia Roldan: Carroll County
Dr. Evelyn Shukat: Montgomery County
Dr. Jenny Wehberg: Wicomico County

Additional counties served include Howard County (Dr. Lane) and Anne Arundel County (Dr. Dubowitz).
In addition to the CHAMP physicians, there are also several Forensic Nurse Examiners -- Pediatrics (FNE-Ps) participating in training sessions and peer review.

CHAMP Activities are coordinated by:

Leslie Fitzpatrick, LCSW-C
CHAMP Program Manager
Child Protection Team Coordinator, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Interested in learning more?

We wish to engage with all Maryland physicians and forensic nurse examiners (FNE-Ps) who are working in the child maltreatment field. If you are interested in being part of CHAMP or simply wish to learn more, please contact the CHAMP Program Manager Leslie Fitzpatrick, LCSW-C or call: (410) 706-5176.

This page was last updated on: August 4, 2011.

For more information about UMCH or to make an appointment, please call 1-800-492-5538 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).