ThedaCare Trains More Nurses, Dedicates Space at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton to Help Sexual Assault Survivors
ThedaCare is expanding the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton on Fri., April 1, to offer more comprehensive coverage for victims. Nurses throughout ThedaCare will be trained for the SANE program. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“Our expanded SANE program provides quality, trauma-informed, compassionate care to victims of sexual assault, while at the same time improves the quality of evidence collection for law enforcement,” said Jennifer Fredriksen RN, BSN, Emergency Department manager at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. “We created a dedicated SANE suite in Appleton to serve as a place of calm after such a traumatic event in these individuals’ lives.”
At ThedaCare, nurse examiners volunteer for the special SANE training they need to help victims and law enforcement. “Survivors of sexual assault can be extremely traumatized. Having quality, expert medical care from highly trained nurses in an organized SANE program is vital to helping a victim recover,” said Audrey James, RN, SANE nurse and nursing supervisor, Emergency Department in Neenah. “We want to make sure each victim receives care that helps restore their dignity and helps them begin the healing process.”
Fredriksen said they have a good start, but expects continued growth in ThedaCare’s SANE program in the coming year. “Our goal is to reach 24/7 coverage,” she continued. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer every day. We now have 12 trained SANE nurses throughout the ThedaCare system. It’s important to serve our community with this critical resource that’s a little closer to home than previous options.”
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,800 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 34 clinics in 14 counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. The ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton opened in February. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
