In "Even in the 'Best Families,'" Anastasia Torres-Gil, a retired assistant district attorney in Santa Clara County and a member of Hadassah's National Board, discusses HMO's fight against domestic violence. It is a problem, she writes, that has only gotten worse during COVID, when so many families have been trapped at home. Torres-Gil describes an innovative program developed by HMO social worker Noa Shemesh and implemented at both hospitals in which Shemesh and her fellow social workers use social media to reach potential victims before their perpetrators do. Says Shemesh, "The sad reality is that intimate violence can happen in any family — even the 'good ones.'"
Anastasia Torres-Gil is part of the Hadassah Writers' Circle, a program created by the Media & Public Relations team that offers volunteer leaders, members and our professional staff the opportunity to share their thoughts and personal stories about Hadassah’s mission, values and programs.