Pinwheels placed to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention

DANVILLE, Pa. - In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, staff from Geisinger's Division of Child Protection and Advocacy planted blue pinwheels at the entrance of Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

The pinwheels represent playfulness, joy and a carefree childhood and serve as a reminder to protect and nurture our children. Pinwheels for Prevention is a national campaign for child abuse prevention.

The CAC team once again wore special T-shirts to commemorate the awareness month. The shirts were created by Chelsea Whispell, the daughter of Trisha Whispell, social work educator for the division. For the second year in a row, Chelsea created and is selling T-shirts to raise funds for the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA).

PFSA works with local community organizations around child abuse prevention efforts and has partnered with local schools and organizations on a statewide art project called Painting for Prevention. Artwork is displayed in many community organizations all month long, including Geisinger pediatric and family practice clinics.

Staff who took part in the pinwheel planting include (Group photo, from left) Dayna DeSalve, MD, pediatric resident; Jayme Hile, LPN, nurse navigator; Paul Bellino, M.D., chief Geisinger Division of Child Protection and Advocacy; Hailey Welker, forensic interviewer; Alexis Smith, CAC program manager with Ollie, CAC's certified therapy dog; Chelsea Whispell, volunteer; Cameran Gardner, victim advocate; Melissa Wagner, Director Child Protection and Advocacy; Marita Lind, MD, Director CAC; and Trisha Whispell, social worker educator.

Photo 2: Cameron Gardner, CAC victim advocate, plants a pinwheel at the entrance of Geisinger Medical Center in Danville in support of Child Abuse Prevention month.

About Geisinger

Geisinger is among the nation's leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses - and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 500 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania's largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state's economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.