小蝌蚪APP

USA and USA Health Establish Pediatric SANE Program

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Posted on January 24, 2023

Joy Washington

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The 小蝌蚪APP College of Nursing and USA Health will work together to address child abuse and sexual assault through a $497,158 federal grant to establish the South Kids Intervention and Prevention Services (SKIPS) program. It will be a comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent forensic examination services. 

According to a recent community health needs assessment, residents ranked child abuse and neglect as the No. 1 health issue facing Mobile and Baldwin county residents, with rape and sexual assault ranking 4th on the list of the top 6 health issues.

South Alabama is one of four institutions to receive this competitive funding from the U.S. Department of Justice鈥檚 Office for Victims of Crime.

鈥淪KIPS will establish the first full-service center to deliver pediatric sexual assault care in Mobile and the Gulf Coast region,鈥� said Project Director Dr. Ashleigh Bowman, an assistant professor in USA鈥檚 College of Nursing. 鈥淭his new center, which will treat pediatric patients at USA Health Children鈥檚 & Women鈥檚 Hospital, will allow us to create a pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) call team to serve children and teens, as well as provide non-acute exams that are child centered and trauma informed.鈥�

This project will be a coordinated community response involving the University鈥檚 College of Nursing, USA Health and the Child Advocacy Center of Mobile. The multidisciplinary team managing the pediatric SANE project includes Bowman along with USA Health Forensic Nursing Coordinator Kathryn Loveless and USA Research Assistant Professor Dr. Candice Selwyn. Dr. Alison Rudd, now with the Baldwin County Public School System, assisted this team in writing the grant proposal.

鈥淭his partnership will allow us to increase access to trauma-informed care for those suffering from pediatric maltreatment in a holistic, child-centered manner that the community has desperately needed,鈥� said Deborah Browning, CEO of USA Health Children鈥檚 & Women鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淲e believe children deserve the best. This partnership will provide much-needed care for children needing SANE services in our community, surrounding areas and along the Gulf Coast region.鈥�

Loveless said this community response is critical in the healthcare outcomes of pediatric patients.

鈥淏y working to incorporate trauma-informed, child-focused care, we can give control to our patients and empower healthcare providers with the proper education to see this unique population,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving a designated SANE exam room in the new USA Health Children鈥檚 & Women鈥檚 Pediatric Emergency Center is a game changer for our community and the region.鈥�

Sexually abused children and adolescents often lack access to both immediate care and follow-up medical services. Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Andy Wynne said the SKIPS program will help.

鈥淭here are hundreds of children who have been abused that come through the CAC each year that need these services, not only for their physical health but to also help determine a more comprehensive approach to ensure their safety and recovery,鈥� Wynne said. 鈥淲e have a long-standing positive relationship with USA, and I believe this new program will strengthen that and our response to child abuse in our community.

鈥淒ealing with child abuse requires a multifaceted approach that is inclusive of healthcare, law enforcement, social services, child welfare and the legal system. The new program at USA fills a vital role for children who have experienced life-changing abuse.鈥�

Once the new center is fully functioning, the program calls for training and certifying more pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners and increasing retention through ongoing training, simulations and workshops.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important nurses have special training to effectively manage the differences and concerns with children and teens who have been sexually assaulted,鈥� said Dr. Heather Hall, dean of the College of Nursing. 鈥淥ur focus is to continue securing grants that provide faculty and healthcare professionals with the training to advance nursing education and practice.鈥�

The program also focuses on recruiting. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a component of the grant that will recruit and retain nursing professionals,鈥� Bowman noted. 鈥淎lso, it鈥檚 important we introduce forensic nursing and the SANEs certification to nursing undergraduate students so that they are aware this training and certification are available.鈥� 

The goals of this project are to:

Establish a coordinated pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner program that will provide patients with comprehensive, trauma-informed, victim-centered medical forensic care after an acute sexual assault.
Expand multidisciplinary care to pediatric victims following sexual assault, including access to follow-up medical forensic care, victim advocates, therapists and non-acute sexual assault medical forensic examinations.

This press release was produced by the 小蝌蚪APP under 15POVC-23-GK-O1409-SAFE, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this press release are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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