Community Partnerships Foster the Inception of a SANE/SART Program in Western Kansas

Abstract

This article highlights a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Response Team (SANE/SART) program developed by a community in rural Kansas focused on offering comprehensive services to sexual assault victims. Community and hospital buy-in initiated the development of this multidisciplinary response featuring specialized medical-forensic care provided by nurses. Key stakeholders, including representatives from a community hospital and regional referral center, and a forward-thinking university with 13,000 on-campus, virtual, and international students, have collaborated to impact the services offered to victims of sexual assault in western Kansas.