Medical Evaluation Response Initiative Team-MERIT

08/25/2026

📣 Professional Credits Available!

Registration is open for Protecting Innocence Symposium 2026: Strengthening Systems to Protect Children on Friday, October 23, 2026!

This FREE, multidisciplinary symposium offers professional credits for a variety of disciplines, including:

🩺 Up to 6.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for physicians
📚 7 PDHs for certified educators
💙 5.5 CEUs for social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and nurses
👮 MTUs for law enforcement, including mandatory credit for Illinois sworn law enforcement officers

Join professionals from across disciplines for a full day focused on strengthening systems and protecting children.

📅 October 23, 2026 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
📍 UIC College of Medicine Rockford
💙 FREE

Registration: go.uic.edu/MERITSymposium

This event is supported through funding from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the voter-approved ½-cent Community Mental Health sales tax.

Oct 23 2026 Protecting Innocence Symposium 2026: Strengthening Systems to Protect Children MERIT Symposium 2026 October 23, 2026 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM "Google Map of 1601 Parkview Ave." Location UIC Rockford Campus Address 1601 Parkview Ave., Rockford, IL 61107 Cost Free Calendar Download iCal File UIC....

08/18/2026

📣 There’s still time to register!

Join UIC MERIT this Friday, August 21, for a Stewards of Children® training from Darkness to Light. This training helps adults recognize, respond to, and take action to prevent child sexual abuse.

💙 Friday, August 21
⏰ 9 AM -12:15 PM
📍 1601 Parkview Ave. S232, Rockford, IL 61107
🎟️ FREE
CEUs and PDHs are available

If you work with or care for children, we’d love to have you join us!

👉 Register today and be part of creating safer environments for children: https://rockford.medicine.uic.edu/events/darkness-to-light-stewards-of-children-program-august-21-2026/

This training is made possible through funding from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the voter-approved ½-cent mental health sales tax.

08/14/2026

Making an Impact in PY5 💙

The UIC MERIT Enhanced Services and Community Prevention Education Program is proud to share the impact of our work throughout Program Year 5.

From supporting children and families to providing education and strengthening connections across our community, this year was filled with meaningful work and meaningful connections.

🎥 Watch our PY5 Grant Impact Video to see what we accomplished together!

Thank you to the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the voters who approved the ½-cent mental health sales tax for recognizing the importance of supporting children and families and investing in their well-being.

08/13/2026

Last week, we had the honor of participating in the 9th Annual Educators Summit! 💙

Our Nurse Practitioner and Director, Shannon Krueger, presented on Strangulation alongside Kim Wolgast from UW Health. Our social worker, Elizabeth Kroening, facilitated an interactive, scenario-based activity, and our MERIT resource table connected educators with resources and information to raise awareness.

It was a great opportunity to equip area educators with essential tools to help keep children safe and support families all year long! 📚✨

Participation made possible, in part, by funding provided through the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the voter-approved ½-cent mental health sales tax. 💚

08/10/2026

📣 Registration is now OPEN!

We are so excited to invite you to attend UIC MERIT’s 3rd Annual Protecting Innocence Symposium 2026: Strengthening Systems to Protect Children on Friday, October 23, 2026.

This FREE symposium brings together professionals from across disciplines to strengthen collaboration and support systems that protect children.

🔗 Learn more and register here:
https://rockford.medicine.uic.edu/events/protecting-innocence-symposium-2026-strengthening-systems-to-protect-children/

This programming is made possible through the support of the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the voter-approved 1/2 cent mental health sales tax.

We hope to see you there! 💙

08/10/2026

Our Friends at UI Health are helping to meet your back to school needs!

Tomorrow and Wednesday! Hope to see you here.

07/20/2026

📅 Save the Date!

Join the UIC Medical Evaluation Response Initiative Team (MERIT) for the Protecting Innocence Symposium 2026: Strengthening Systems to Protect Children on Friday, October 23, 2026.

This free, multidisciplinary symposium brings professionals together to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for children and families.

This event is supported through funding from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and voter approved 1/2 cent mental health sales tax. We are grateful for WCCMHB's continued investment in strengthening services for children and families in our community.

Registration details and speaker announcements coming soon!

07/10/2026

⏰ There's still time to register!

Join us on Tuesday, July 14 at UIC Rockford for Stewards of Children®, an evidence-informed training that equips adults with the knowledge and practical tools to recognize, prevent, and respond to child sexual abuse.

This training is FREE for adults in Winnebago County thanks to vital funding from the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board and the voter-approved ½-cent sales tax. CEUs and PDHs are also available.

We still have room available, so if you've been thinking about attending, now is the perfect time to reserve your spot!

Register here: https://rockford.medicine.uic.edu/events/darkness-to-light-stewards-of-children-program-2/

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with colleagues, friends, and others who are passionate about keeping children safe. Every trained adult helps create a safer community.

07/07/2026

Continuing education is vital. Thank you to April House Children's Advocacy Center for hosting our team for child abuse training.

Today April House staff, along with 6 other MDT members, are attending a training presented by Medical Evaluation Response Initiative Team-MERIT on Medical Aspects of Child Maltreatment. The presenters are experts in the field of forensic child abuse from University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford.

06/23/2026

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Davis on being recognized as a 40 Over 40 honoree! 🎉 We are grateful to work alongside someone whose expertise and dedication make a difference for children and families in Winnebago County and beyond. 💙

Ray Davis trained as a pediatrician, but his career took a turn in the early 1990s when he began seeing children who were victims of abuse. He realized the problem was far larger than his practice alone.

He helped found the Medical Evaluation Response Initiative Team (MERIT) at UICOM-R, joined the UIC-Rockford faculty as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and became medical director for six county advocacy centers across northern Illinois.

A triple-major graduate of Illinois Wesleyan and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, Ray has spent decades training investigators, attorneys, and physicians across 15 counties. His honors include the CASA Excellence in Child Welfare Award, Rockford's "20 People You Should Know" in 2019, and a 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award from Illinois Wesleyan.

We'll honor Dr. Davis and 39 others during the 40 over 40 reception!