April 26, 2004
Experts Help Victims Get The Proper Care
Genesis Adds Sexual Assault Resource Program To Emergency Department
Davenport, IA - Victims of sexual assault now have a team of experts who can come to their aid, thanks to a new Sexual Assault Resource Program based at the Genesis Medical Center West campus Emergency Department (ED). The Genesis program is the first of its kind in the Quad Cities and the only one in the state of Iowa that is coordinated to meet the needs of both adults and children.
Through the program, medical professionals, law enforcement and social workers will provide coordinated treatment, investigation, counseling and legal advocacy for victims of sexual assault. Nancy Groth, RN, West campus, has completed training and is now just the fourth Certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in the state of Iowa. Other Genesis nurses are currently being trained.
The program was established based on a community needs assessment done by Groth and other nurses, who learned that Scott County has the third-highest number of reported sexual assaults in Iowa.
"That was both surprising and disturbing," says Groth, whose interest in helping sexual assault victims began 10 years ago with her service on the Family Resources Sexual Assault Advisory Committee. "These victims need specialized care for a specialized situation. With our program, we can be sensitive to, and meet their needs."
When a sexual assault victim presents in the ED, Groth will do a forensics examination as part of the initial medical treatment, during which observations about the victim's injuries are recorded and DNA is collected for the criminal investigation. Referrals are then made to other professionals on the team who provide appropriate help to the victim, including counseling and guidance through the legal system.
Being sensitive to the victim is an emphasis of the program. Until now, many female sexual assault victims, in the hours immediately following the alleged assault, often were seen by a male physician, at a time when they were still tremendously fearful of men.
"Having a specially-trained female who can examine and treat will be of immense comfort and support to the victim," says Richard Vermeer, D.O., Davenport Emergency Medicine Physicians, P.C., and Medical Director of the Genesis Emergency Department. "Additionally our nurses will be used as expert witnesses, and we expect they'll be able to provide a great service to our community."
"In many cases, this nurse will be the first person to talk to the victim," says Lt. Gene Wall, who heads the Davenport Police Department Criminal Investigation Division. "With her special training, she knows what to look for, listen for and what questions to ask. This is a huge benefit to the detective working the crime. Sometimes we can't get the victim's trust back if what goes on at the crime scene or the hospital undermines her confidence."
When the victim is a child or adolescent, Barbara Harre, M.D., Scott County Medical Examiner and founder of the Quad City Child and Family Resource Center, is called in to assist with the case. Dr. Harre helped the ED develop the protocol followed in the treatment of young victims.
In addition, a call is made to the Family Resources Sexual Assault Crisis Line, and one of that agency's 15 advocates is dispatched to the ED to begin a relationship with the victim, helping them understand their rights and the resources available to them.
"Counseling is so important for sexual assault victims," says Lori Risius, an Iowa Child and Adolescent Counselor, Family Resources Rape/Sexual Assault Counseling Program. "We let them know that they're not alone, that it's not their fault. A lot of victims don't have anyone who believes them. That's what we're there for."
From a legal standpoint, the teamwork strategy results in better cases and better prosecutions. No matter how talented the detective or prosecutor in a sexual assault case, they can't get back DNA evidence that wasn't collected. According to prosecutors, it's one thing for a victim to simply tell her story. But when a victim's story is supported by testimony from a trained nurse who made good observations, and by DNA collected in the ED, the case is more powerful.
"We want to develop a reputation in this community that sexual assault cases go to trial with good evidence, and that the perpetrators are convicted," says Julie Walton, Assistant Scott County Attorney. "The better these cases are put together, right from the start, the less chance there is that the people who commit these crimes will have an opportunity to harm more victims."
The Genesis Emergency Department is an entry point to full-service hospital care and seeks to create an environment that meets the needs of everyone, regardless of how sick or injured they are. Patients admitted through the ED can be confident of superior clinical capabilities and the use of the latest technology, with access to a full spectrum of services and specialists. In 2003, patient visits to the East and West campus EDs totaled almost 56,000.
