Specialized Care for Women in Need

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The medical care a woman receives after a sexual assault is critical to both police and to her recovery. A local hospital has initiated a program to preserve a woman's dignity and collect the necessary evidence.

Washington Hospital Center is home to the only designated adult SANE program, including Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners who are trained to collect forensic evidence. The SANE program gives survivors of sexual violence immediate access to a private room where one of 11 specially trained nurses will collect forensic evidence.

It is a partnership between the Executive Office of the Mayor, Office of Victim Services which funds and oversees the program and the Washington Hospital Center. The D.C. SANE program is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The technology used in the forensic exams, includes a powerful camera which allows nurses to photograph injuries using an alternative light source able to detect sub-dermal bruising.

Denise Snyder, Executive Director of the DC Rape Crisis Center, was on hand during a media tour of the facility and believes the SANE program give survivors the dignity they deserve.

"Sexual assault survivors are not considered a priority in an emergency room when it's balanced against gun shots or burn victims, but here they are a priority," Snyder said.