Domestic Abuse

Our Goals:
The Facts: Per Year in the U.S.
New cases of breast cancer1: 200,000
Number of women dying from cardiovascular disease2: 500,000
Number of violent victimizations reported by women3: 1,500,000
Abusive behavior cascades through family generations, impacting the health of the abused, both children and adults, and is a major social issue. The cost to our health care system is greater than that of breast and cervical cancer, 
and yet only 2% of domestic abuse cases are diagnosed by physicians.

We have only begun to realize how serious this issue is.  It costs society up to $50 billion in health care costs alone, and causes injuries, chronic illnesses, and undiagnosed mental illnesses which could be prevented.  Unfortunately, it is a difficult task to diagnose a phenomenon that patients are only too willing to deny.

Though in the last few years more educational material has become available, a significant amount of work remains to be done in advocating the need to train physicians to identify and treat domestic abuse.

GetWell is putting its efforts into:
1 - Cancer Facts and Figures. American Cancer Society (2003).
2 - Women and Cardiovascular Disease. American Heart Association (2003).
3 - Tjaden P., Thoennes N. Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence . National Institute for Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000.