Children’s Mercy Hospital Honored for Combating Crimes Against Children

Roger Kemp, the father of Ali Kemp (for whom the annual award is named) joined U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson to present the award.-courtesy photo

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award Thursday to the SCAN (Safety Care And Nurturing) Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital., according to a media release.

Dickinson also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to former Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Fincham.

The award ceremony was part of an annual event hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and VictimNet, a coalition of victim service providers and others committed to meeting the needs of crime victims in Jackson County, in conjunction with the observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme – “Serving Victims. Building Trust. Restoring Hope.” – emphasizes the importance of providing needed services at the earliest stage of victimization.

Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award

“Thousands of children, the most vulnerable victims of crime, have been served by the SCAN Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital,” Dickinson said. “The SCAN Clinic is a critical resource to protect children from further trauma, provide the resources they need for recovery and prosecute their abusers.”

The SCAN Clinic is designed to provide an unbiased resource to investigate child abuse based on medical evidence. The specialized medical exams can help identify overlooked abuse as well as disprove suspected abuse. The SCAN clinic serves children and adolescents along with the families involved in the allegations of abuse and neglect. The SCAN Clinic has open access and accepts referrals from all sources including physician offices, individuals and families.

The Division of Child Abuse and Neglect at Children’s Mercy Hospital cares for nearly 3,000 children each year by identifying, preventing and treating all forms of child abuse. The division consists of:

The SCAN Clinic;
The Child and Family Therapy Department;
A multi-disciplinary team for kids under 6 years old dealing with any trauma, which is comprised of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Social Work.