In 1987, St. Luke's Hospital opened the Child Protection Center which provides centralized access to an integrated system of services for physically and sexually abused children and coordinates psychosocial histories, assessment interviews, and medical examinations. Referrals come from child protection workers from the Iowa Department of Human Services after consulting with law enforcement personnel with specialized training in child sexual abuse investigations. The main focus is on the welfare and rehabilitation of the child. The agencies agreed during the planning process to allow the criminal justice system to address the issue of the perpetrator's rehabilitation. The center at the hospital to collect solid tangible evidence in the prosecution of child abuse cases.