We hope this doesn’t happen, but if you or someone you care about is ever assaulted, Memorial Regional Health wants you to know that specially trained providers are on-call 24/7 to compassionately and respectfully provide care, document any physical trauma and corroborate what happened in case legal charges ensue.
Our trained nurses and physician assistants are available to conduct both sexual assault exams and exams after non-sexual assaults. Sensitive care and exams are available to all genders and people of any age. Common issues in the Craig area include stranger sexual assault, intimate partner violence, sexual assault on minors, attempted strangulation and child abuse.
“Our team conducts about three to five forensic exams every month,” said Rebecca Forney, MRH Chief Nursing Officer, who together with Kristine Cooper, MRH Vice President of Clinical Services, oversees the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) and Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE) program. “We have four providers trained to do the exams and a fifth in training. One is on call at all times.”
MRH’s SANE/FNE program started in 2020 through a UCHealth grant. During each exam, a UCHealth telenurse specializing in the process of evidence collection is also “in the room,” ensuring a high degree of forensic integrity should the assault victim wish to press charges. The decision to contact law enforcement or press charges always rests with the person who was assaulted unless the victim is a child. MRH is legally obligated to report suspected child abuse.
If the victim would like, a trauma-informed counselor from ACTSS (formerly called Open Heart Advocates) may also be present to offer additional emotional support while the MRH nurse or PA is providing physical care and collecting evidence.
Forney said that some victims are in shock or unsure that what happened to them constitutes assault. The nurses and OHA counselors are trained to talk through the encounter and help the victim process. “We act as sounding boards and caregivers,” Forney said. “It often helps them just to tell someone what happened. We provide the patient with all the options. What happens after that is completely up to them. If they’re not interested in contacting law enforcement or pressing charges, we store the evidence, because sometimes victims change their minds after they’ve had time to consider and are no longer in shock.”
High-quality forensic evidence collection is often the key to justice for victims, and MRH is committed to ensuring the process remains available right here in Craig.
“Everything is completely confidential,” Forney emphasized. “We take that very seriously. And our providers know that this is a vital service we’re providing to our community. We’re here to help.”
If you are ever in need of this service, simply come to the MRH emergency room or call the ER at 970-826-3211 and ask to speak to a SANE or FNE provider.
