Press Release

St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center

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St. Joseph’s names McCutcheon Child Advocacy Center Director

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center recently named Janice McCutcheon, MSW, Director of the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center.

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McCutcheon, the first state-trained forensic interviewer in Arkansas, assumes the Director responsibilities at the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center after serving six-plus years as the main forensic interviewer for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County in Rogers, Arkansas.

“St. Joseph’s was fortunate to be able to find a person with Janice’s experience and talent to serve as Director of the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center,” said Patrick McCruden, St. Joseph’s Vice President of Mission and Ethics. “Our goal is for Janice to build on the existing strengths of the Center and make it into a premiere facility that will be highly utilized by medical and law enforcement professionals who are serving abused children throughout our region.”

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McCutcheon, nominated for 2005 Northwest Arkansas Woman of the Year by the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, conducted forensic interviews with well over 1,000 children while at the facility in Rogers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Arkansas before securing her master’s degree in 2004 from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

“I had lived in Rogers for 28 years and never thought I would leave,” said McCutcheon, a mother of two daughters – 22-year-old Christina and 20-year-old Sherry. “I was settled there, and because of my family, friends and church, could not imagine moving. Several people from here called me, and although I was not open to it at first, the opportunity just kept popping back into my mind.

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“I followed up and finally decided it would not hurt to go for an interview to see what I thought. When I came down here and went to the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center the first time, I just felt at home. In talking to the staff members, and then Patrick (McCruden) during my interview, it just felt like a good fit. What they needed here – lots of experience working with children – I had to offer. I then started having some visions for the Center and decided I really wanted the job.”

McCutcheon has only been with St. Joseph’s facility, the state’s lone hospital-based child advocacy center, a few weeks, but she insists her heartfelt decision to move has already been validated several times.

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“The physicians and staff have done a wonderful job here,” McCutcheon said. “The Center is well established and the forensic interviewer, Tracey Sanchez, and nurse, Marcie Hermann, are bright, intelligent women who do excellent work. I am also excited about the welcoming, pleasant atmosphere you receive at both the Center and St. Joseph’s.

“Everyone is so willing to offer help and answer questions. They are concerned about others and want to do the best they can for them, no matter their background. It’s all about just wanting to minister to others.”

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