MDT Highlight – Deborah “Debby” Sorrentino
June 10, 2021
The impact and support children and families receive at Children’s Cove is only possible by our partnership and collaboration with committed members of what we call the multidisciplinary team (MDT). They are the professionals who often work behind the scenes, and rarely get the attention or credit they deserve. Most of the time they don’t want it, choosing to work silently and diligently protecting and serving our children.
Deborah “Debby” Sorrentino
Nurse Practitioner, PediSANE at Children’s Cove
While we tend to highlight MDT partners outside of our agency, this month we are doing it a little differently. Our incredible PediSANE Debby Sorrentino is leaving us at the end of June to embark on new adventures in retirement. Our entire team is both saddened and overjoyed for Debby, as she truly has been an invaluable, wonderful asset to our team.
Debby has dedicated her career to the medical care of children with an emphasis on the most vulnerable in our community. She has served in many roles over the course of her career, including as a nurse-liaison for the Department of Children and Families for children in custody or care. Debby also worked in organizations providing support to families with domestic violence and substance misuse, and she served on the Primary and Urgent care team at Boston Children’s Hospital. Lastly, Debby worked for more than 10 years as a Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner at both Children’s Cove and the Norfolk County Children’s Advocacy Center, which is where her journey with us began.
Debby’s strong advocacy for those in her care, whether as a part of the multi-disciplinary team, or with other medical professionals, has lent itself to ensuring children will receive the healthiest outcomes and self-determination.
In 2016, Debby joined Children’s Cove and worked part-time to provide the medical response to child victims of crimes, including sexual abuse, sexual assault, and commercial sexual exploitation. Since day one, she has served as an active member of the team, responsible for the following: conducting outreach to medical professionals across the Cape & Islands, providing training to school nurses, emergency room staff, and multi-disciplinary teams, such as the regional law enforcement crisis intervention team. Debby was a regular consultant to primary care physicians when there have been concerns over the medical wellbeing of children in our community, and she advocated strongly for the least invasive processes for children to receive high-quality care.
Debby’s care of the children she has supported for cannot be understated. Her empathic and compassionate personality lends itself to being a calm, caring and measured force in lives during a tumultuous time. She helped them to make the best decisions for their bodies, and she made them feel comfortable to heal by providing education and understanding. Debby’s strong advocacy for those in her care, whether as a part of the multi-disciplinary team, or with other medical professionals, has lent itself to ensuring children will receive the healthiest outcomes and self-determination. Debby’s ability to work with diverse youth of all backgrounds and identities has been a blessing to support children who otherwise may not work with authorities or other medical processes. Debby’s steady advocacy of ensuring the medical response is always considered, even when many others may think there is no need for it, has truly made the difference in the lives of countless children.
Debby, from all of us at Children’s Cove, it won’t be the same without you! We are going to miss you dearly, though we know you aren’t far. We wish you the most happy, restful, and adventurous retirement ever. You absolutely deserve it.
