Port Townsend, Wash.-based Jefferson Healthcare launched a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program June 25, according to Peninsula Daily News.
The SANE program will serve patients ages 13 and older. Four to 10 exams are requested in this age group each year in Jefferson County, according to county data. Patients seeking forensic exams previously had to drive over an hour to another facility.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners are trained holistically in the forensic, psycho-social and medical care of sexual assault patients. Jefferson Healthcare will use case review and a preceptor program, among other measures, to ensure the program's quality.
The health system has hired three experienced SANE nurses and four nurses undergoing training. The services will be offered as-available at first, but the program aims to eventually transition to a 24/7 on-call model.