November 16, 2017:    Denver area-based Littleton Adventist Hospital and Porter Adventist Hospital are raising awareness about resources they are offering to help sexual assault victims.

The hospital program offers medical care to victims of sexual and domestic abuse. According to PR Newswire, it also helps victims gather evidence for prosecutors as they seek justice against their attackers.

“Recent events have brought renewed national attention to the long-standing issue of sexual violence. Survivors of sexual assault have been deprived of dignity and control over their own bodies. Without treatment, sexual assault can lead to long-term health consequences, making this a genuine medical issue,” said Jennifer Bishara, BSN, RN, SANE/SAFE Coordinator/Assistant Nurse Manager. “The nurses in the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program provide the highest standard of compassionate care to survivors of sexual assault. Our patients leave with a sense of empowerment, knowing that they are believed, which is vital to the healing process.”

Centura Health of which both the Littleton and Porter hospitals are a part, offers the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SANE/SAFE) program at a number of its facilities.

Each center is staffed 24 hours a day every day of the year with nurses trained specifically to care for abuse victims and gather evidence.

Crime statistics show that 17 percent of women in the United States (23.8 percent in Colorado) report being raped or being the victims of attempted rape.

Centura Health is managed under a joint operating agreement formed in 2006 between Adventist Health System and Catholic Health Initiatives. It operates facilities in Colorado and Kansas.

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