Inova Alexandria Hospital Partners with National Center to Prevent Infant Abductions

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Will Host Training Session to Promote Awareness About Nationwide Issue

Alexandria, VA – (March 23, 2009) —Inova Alexandria Hospital and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) are teaming up for a training session to help prevent infant abductions.

Hospital staff will learn from John Rabun, executive vice president and chief operating officer, NCMEC, how to identify possible abductors and additional techniques to help staff continue to be diligent about preventing infant abductions. This is the first time local media have been invited to attend this training session.

WHAT:
“Safeguard Their Tomorrows” infant abduction prevention training session
John Rabun, executive vice president and chief operating officer,
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

WHEN:
March 25th
10:30 a.m. to noon

WHERE:
Inova Alexandria Hospital Auditorium

“An infant abduction is one of the worst fears of not only a new parent but for hospital staff as well,” said Marjorie Quint-Bouzid, RN, senior director, women and children’s services, Inova Alexandria Hospital. “It’s important for all of our staff to continue to be proactive in recognizing and preventing any threat to our newborn babies. This training session will assist us in protecting our littlest patients while they are in our care.”

NCMEC provides assistance with implementing new technology and training of hospital and its security personnel to prevent an infant abduction from occurring. The organization also gives guidance on how to respond when an abduction occurs, working closely with law enforcement during and after an incident.

According to a January 2009 study by the NCMEC, more than 250 infants have been abducted from new parents at their homes or in healthcare facilities since 1983. The majority of these missing infants have been recovered.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency- and urgent-care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Since it was established by Congress in 1984, the organization has operated the toll-free 24-hour national missing children’s hotline which has handled more than 2,350,000 calls.  It has assisted law enforcement in the recovery of more than 135,400 children.  The organization’s CyberTipline has handled more than 664,610 reports of child sexual exploitation and its Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed and analyzed more than 21,245,760 child pornography images and videos.  The organization works in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice’s office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  To learn more about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.