Sarah’s Place, a regional sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) center, is celebrating one year of service to the community this August. (Video below) Located within Samaritan Albany General Hospital, Sarah’s Place was born out of a need for sexual assault patients to receive compassionate care and be connected to resources in an environment where they feel safe.
In the past year, Sarah’s Place has treated and provided resources to more than 140 patients of all ages and genders, spanning seven different counties.
“Sarah’s Place is a survivor-focused, non-judgmental center where patients can share their stories and find comfort,” said Amie Keys, RN. Keys is a SANE nurse trained to help each patient find the resources they need to start healing from the traumatic experiences.
To ensure that patients are accessing the resources they need, Sarah’s Place began offering follow-up appointments. They hope to help the patients heal from the trauma and prevent further health issues like cancer, mental health issues and even suicide.
“We hope to promote positive health care for a lifetime, not just an examination,” explains Patti Kenyon, Sarah’s Place specialist and SANE nurse.
Although patients are the first priority, Sarah’s Place services extend beyond patient care, with staff providing education about Sarah’s Place to schools, faith-based organizations, medical facilities and events. They are also active in community organizations that focus on prevention of sexual abuse, like county sexual assault resource teams, multi-disciplinary teams for child and elder abuse, the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force, and prevention efforts at Oregon State University. Additionally, Sarah’s Place staff has been consulted by organizations throughout Oregon on starting similar outreach, prevention and treatment facilities.
Through all of the services offered, Sarah’s Place SANE nurses agree, the best thing they do is help patients start the healing process and provide hope.
Sarah’s Place is open 24/7, at Samaritan Albany General Hospital, call 541-812-4220 or visit samhealth.org/SarahsPlace for more information.