MEDFORD – Aspirus Medford Hospital recently became the seventh Aspirus hospital that now offers direct local access to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, program in its emergency department.
“We are proud to add this important program in Medford which excels in providing highly specialized clinical care in concert with the compassion needed under difficult circumstances,” said Dale Hustedt, president, Aspirus Northwest Wisconsin Division, in a news release.
What Happens During the Exam
Aspirus SANE exams can be done up to 120 hours, or five days, after an assault. When patients report to an Aspirus emergency department where services are available, they are brought to a dedicated safe and private environment where the exam will take place. With permission, the nurse will ask the patient about the assault, perform a physical exam, complete an evidence collection kit, offer risk assessment for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and coordinate care with a sexual assault advocate.
The Value of Care
Care is important whether a patient chooses to report the assault to law enforcement.
If the patient wishes to report, the SANE nurse will help. Nurses are mandated to report sexual assaults of patients younger than 18 years of age. If the patient is 18 and older and unsure if they want to report the assault, the evidence collected during the exam will go into kit that will be shipped directly to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, where Klemm says it will be held for up to 10 years for the patient to decide if she or he would like to report the assault.
If the patient would like to track her or his kit through the chain of custody from law enforcement to crime lab, the nurse can provide information.
