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Halifax Regional Improves Service for Sexual Assault Victims
ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC – (February 12, 2007) – Halifax Regional will increase its services for victims of Sexual Assault when the Medical Center opens a special examination suite Tuesday, February 13. The Medical Center has remodeled space to provide victims a private, calming and secure place for examination and counseling. “Our purpose is to help patients who have injuries and to attend to their emotional needs,” said Brenda Boone, RN. “We also will inform victims about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.” Boone is one of five certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners at Halifax Regional. They have completed a specialized program learning how to conduct in-depth examination of victims and how to gather and maintain evidence. They have been taught how to work together with law enforcement officials, including the possibility of testifying in court. The Medical Center has evidence-gathering equipment for documenting injuries sustained during a sexual assault. The new suite is intended to help victims feel safe and secure, said Charlotte Ferguson, Nurse Manager in the Emergency Care Center. “The privacy in the suite will help victims feel comfortable so they can communicate with nurses,” she said. “We are here to help victims who need our services.” Funds to develop the suite and for the educational program to train the nurses came from a grant from the Duke Endowment, whose mission is to improve quality, safety and access to healthcare in the Carolinas.
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