Women don't want to hear that. This open attitude isn't easy for healthcare professionals, who are trained to fix problems, McGrogan said. To feel good about the domestic violence program, many healthcare workers had to revise their idea of what success is, she said. Experts point out that abused women commonly leave the relationship five to eight times, then return, before leaving for good. Having established their domestic violence protocols in the ED, the hospitals in the pilot project are expanding them to other departments.
Research is under way to measure the project's impact, but participants say they know it's helping.
At Scripps Memorial Hospital, domestic violence interventions have tripled since protocols were put in place. And abused women regularly approach the staff saying they've heard of the program and want help. At Sonora Community Hospital, staff are identifying domestic violence in cases they had missed before. And there are the occasional, rewarding developments that break down walls of silence and denial. I've had patients say, 'Thank you.