How a 47-year-old Program Helps Kadlec Regional Medical Center Support Survivors of Sexual Assault

Woman stands at a podium wearing tee that reads Your Fight is Our Fight

When it comes to caring for sexual assault survivors, health care workers often walk a fine line. They must provide care that is both high quality and compassionate — performing necessary exams and collecting samples in a delicate way that avoids retraumatizing the patient.

At Kadlec Regional Medical Center, which serves Washington state’s Tri-Cities region, nurses can undergo special training to help them learn how to strike the right balance, known as the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program. Nurses in the SANE program complete more than 40 hours of additional training specific to sexual abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking scenarios.

This training has been shown to result in survivors being more likely to come forward and to trust the support system and resources in place. Learn more about the SANE program, which has existed since 1976 under various names, in this Tri-City Herald article.

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