Staff reports
The 14th Circuit Victims Services Center held a news conference Tuesday to announce it has received a special designation for providing exceptional care to sexual assault victims.
The 14th Circuit VSC now carries a Level 2 Sexual Assault Forensic Excellence (SAFE) Designation, awarded to facilities and programs that “go above and beyond” in caring for victims of sexual assault. It is one of eight organizations statewide to earn an accreditation and the first in the Lowcountry.
The SAFE Designation was created by the S.C. Victim Assistance Network (SCVAN), the S.C. Attorney General’s Office, the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division and the S.C. Hospital Association.
“We began this program to eliminate the need for children to travel long distances for care following a sexual assault,” said Solicitor Duffie Stone. “We soon discovered ways adult victims can be better accommodated, as well. Today, our forensic nurses – along with our center partners, area hospitals and other local agencies – treat survivors of rape and abuse holistically, in their own community.”
Following an assault, sexual assault nurse examiners with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office treat survivors in a safe and secure medical exam room at the VSC. It also provides on-call nurses to provide sexual assault exams in emergency rooms at Beaufort Memorial, Coast Carolina and Hilton Head hospitals. Since 2019, VSC nurses have performed more than 200 adult and pediatric exams.
Program coordinator Jennifer Talley, RN, BSN, SANE-A, and her team of forensic nurses are trained to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed care to survivors of sexual assault. They also collect evidence and can testify in court.
To earn the Level 2 designation, the VSCs nurses received additional training through SCVAN and adopted policies and procedures to ensure quality patient care.
“This designation helps to recognize not only the important work being done here, but also the exceptional level of care being offered to survivors within this community,” said Amanda Brown, RN, BSN, SANE-A, the statewide forensic nurse examiner program coordinator at SCVAN.
