SANE Regional Centers of Excellence (CoE) are forensic programs where Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFEs) can obtain clinical experience caring for patients who have experienced sexual violence under the supervision and direction of experienced forensic nurse preceptors.
Nurse preceptors supervise, train, and mentor SANE and SAFE professionals. SANE Regional CoE are staffed by experienced in-house SANEs who can complement the classroom educational experience (didactic training) of SANE and SAFE professionals with individualized clinical experience and resources.
Earlier this year, the International Association of Forensic Nurses, in collaboration with OVC, invited forensic programs that are preparing current and future SANEs and SAFEs for clinical practice to apply for funding to establish SANE Regional CoE.
The International Association of Forensic Nurses selected four regional Forensic Nurse Examiner Programs as subaward recipients to strengthen the SANE workforce and provide survivors of sexual violence access to highly skilled forensic nurse professionals. Learn more about each site below.
Honor Health, Scottsdale, Arizona
This dual community-based and hospital-based sexual assault response center will serve as the model site for the SANE Regional CoE project. Their forensic nursing program has close alliances with seven family advocacy centers and hospital systems throughout Maricopa County, and a satellite location in Yavapai County.
University of Colorado Health Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs, Colorado
This hospital operates a fully staffed forensic nurse examiner program that includes an expanding forensic telehealth program that supports more than a dozen rural hospitals and clinics across Colorado.
Providence Intervention Center for Assault and Abuse, Everett, Washington
The Center is co-located with Dawson Place, a child advocacy center that offers services through child forensic interviewers, medical examiners, investigators, prosecutors, and other professionals. The Center’s strong community partnerships allow it to serve patients at multiple hospitals throughout the region.
Shelby County Crime Victims and Rape Crisis Center, Memphis, Tennessee
The Center provides onsite medical forensic examinations and collaborates with many community partners, including the Memphis Child Advocacy Center and local hospitals.