UH Portage Medical Center and the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office are working to provide the community with robust resources to better ensure victims of violence can seek care close to home.
Friday, January, 24th marked the launch of the Portage County Domestic Violence Task Force meeting at UH Portage Medical Center.
UH Portage Medical Center has SANE, sexual assault nurse examiner services available 24 hours a day, which began at the hospital last February. This SANE unit in the UH Portage Medical Center Emergency Department can provide consults, exams, and resources for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
This effort, co-led by Jennifer Moreland, MSN RN SANE-A, a forensic nurse and lead SANE for the Southeast Region of University Hospitals medical centers is designed to help provide tools for victims to move forward.
Participants in this meeting included first responders, specifically law enforcement, medical providers, and fire department officials. Advocates from many organizations were also in attendance.
“Since SANE services began at UH Portage Medical Center, we have seen an exponential increase in people seeking assistance,” said Moreland. “We want people to know, they can turn to us for help. We have resources available to aid in their recovery, within their own community.”
UH Portage Medical Center is the only hospital in Portage County. Moreland along with her co-lead, Cassie Finnegan, Director of the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Division, look forward to connecting the resources in Portage County and providing optimal health and safety outcomes for the victims of domestic violence.
