No community is immune to the dangers of sexual assault. Despite that fact, medical professionals say victim services in rural areas are often hard to come by. Organizations in Madison County want that to change. Cara Thomas tells us about a program that will now offer specialized trauma and forensic medical care to victims.
HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Bringing a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, program to Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton was an idea inspired by a group of Colgate students who were concerned about the limited care sexual assault victims could receive locally.
Those concerns were brought to the university's board of trustees. Now two years later, five nurses have been trained and certified to provide specialized trauma and forensic medical care for sexual assault victims in Madison County.
"Sexual assault nurse examiners go through extensive training and are able to go ahead and provide that level of support right after an episode and ongoing support with advocates to provide ongoing care and attention for those individuals," said Dr. Merrill Miller, director of health services at Colgate University.
This program is a combined effort between Colgate University, Community Memorial Hospital and Liberty Resources. Medical professionals say programs like these aren't typically offered in small, rural hospitals, and this SANE initiative is one of a kind.
"As opposed to survivors always having to travel to the bigger cities, we're right here, kind of in between Utica and Syracuse, and our rural communities truly do need the same resources as the more urban areas," said Sarah Haag, divisional director of Liberty Resources.
Victims in need of these services can go directly to Community Memorial Hospital's emergency room or can call the Help Restore Hope Center's hotline at 855-966-9723.