The Children's Hospital and Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect

Director: Andrew Sirotnak, MD
Phone: 720-777-6919
Fax: 720-777-7253

Two or three year post-residency Child Abuse and Neglect Fellowship is available for board certified or eligible pediatricians. CO medical license is required. The University of Colorado’s Kempe Child Protection Team is one of the first three and oldest in the country, founded in 1958 by C. Henry Kempe, MD.  Busy clinical service with 800 patients a year (with approximately 40% sexual abuse and 60% physical abuse or neglect, inpatient and outpatient). Weekly child protection team clinic for sexual abuse consultations with colposcopy examination, follow up inpatient care, and community DHS referrals. MDT case review meeting is held each week. Team psychologist has local and national reputation for treating severely traumatized children, in particular, those who have witnessed violence.

The Children’s Hospital (TCH) is on the Anshutz Medical Campus, where the integrated clinical, educational and research enterprise of the University of Colorado now resides.  We are a major referral center for child abuse consultation services through the Kempe Center for the Rocky Mountain region, including Wyoming, Idaho, Nebraska, and Kansas. TCH is Colorado’s only Level One pediatric trauma center with a busy emergency department and a growing network of care sites, with close to 60,000 ED annual visits on our main campus. We are affiliated with Denver Health Medical Center, a Level One Adult trauma center and the major public health hospital and primary care network for Denver.

First year is primarily clinical and second year can be designed around research with total time approximately 60% clinical, 20% research, and 20% time involvement in outside activity such as court, lectures and outreach. Civil and criminal court testimony in cases is required training.  All pediatric fellows at The University of Colorado are required to complete an educational curriculum that includes basic research, biostatistics training, as well as, participation in career development sessions. In addition to this educational series, fellows are encouraged to explore MPH, PhD, and other advanced degrees through the University of Colorado Clinical Sciences Program. Scholarly oversight committee will be in place for fellow with a required scholarly product.  This structure will satisfy the ABP requirements for 3 year fellows who plan to take Child Abuse Pediatrics certifying examination.

Our funding primarily through private and foundation grants, and departmental support with clinical earnings. The program can have 1 or 2 positions yearly depending upon funding availability. Past graduates now lead multidisciplinary teams, or hold academic positions in child abuse pediatrics.