eSANE for Rural: A scalable telehealth approach to support justice for rural victims

The purpose of this award, funded under the OVC FY 2019 Enhancing Care and Improving Access and Quality of Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations through Telehealth (Purpose Area 1), is to develop or enhance statewide or regional telehealth programs to improve the quality of healthcare for sexual assault victims, increase the quality of forensic evidence collection, and expand the reach of SANE services through telehealth for communities with limited access to trained SANEs.

Avera Health will: 1) establish a dedicated support network of highly trained, experienced SANEs to provide 24/7 support and guidance to medical providers, via a telehealth platform, who have limited SANE training to increase confidence, competence, and retention; 2) leverage a telehealth platform to deliver high-quality care and sexual assault forensic exams for victims of sexual assault, including behavioral health and victim advocacy services; 3) ensure sexual assault victims receive patient-centered and trauma-informed care during the exam process; 4) increase the number of sexual assault victims who have access to a community based victim advocate during the exam process; and 5) leverage a telehealth platform to deliver ongoing sexual assault forensic examination support, education, and training to medical providers with limited access to these resources. The project will serve: South Dakota, Montana, Iowa, North Dakota, and Nebraska Tribal Communities: Winnebago Tribe (Winnebago, NE; Twelve Clans Unity Hospital). CA/NCF