SANE program marks 20 years

This year, HSHS St. Vincent Hospital’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program marks 20 years of dedicated service to victims of sexual assault in northeast Wisconsin. The HSHS St. Vincent Hospital SANE team consists of 17 specially trained sexual assault nurse examiners and registered nurses who care for sexual assault victims, collecting medical evidence and performing necessary examinations, and providing them options and resources for treatment. Working with local agencies including human services, law enforcement, the Sexual Assault Center and the district attorney’s office, the HSHS St. Vincent Hospital’s SANE team connects patients with multiple local advocacy groups available to sexual assault victims and their families. In many cases, these nurses are also called to testify in court as expert witnesses.