Butler County is fortunate to have at least one nurse who is specially trained to examine victims of sexual assault and collect evidence used to identify and prosecute suspects.

There only are 49 certified sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) in Pennsylvania, and a bill sponsored by state Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47th, and recently passed by the state Senate would establish a grant program for hospitals to create SANE services.

The Senate passed Bill 1172 that Vogel sponsored as a part of a four-bill package aimed at supporting victims of crime. The package has been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

A study conducted last year by the National Institutes of Health found there are only 49 certified sexual assault nurse examiners in the state — not enough for all of Pennsylvania’s 279 hospitals, Vogel said.

“It’s not a problem here,” said Richard Goldinger, county district attorney. “We have SANE nurses at Butler Memorial Hospital. If a victim needs an exam, we have never run into a problem.”

He said the county doesn’t have a large number of sexual assault cases, but he supports the bill because “you can never have too many” SANEs.

Jenna Enscoe, director of the emergency department at BMH, said she and five other registered nurses are SANE nurses, and three more are receiving SANE training next month at Duquesne University.

“There are multiple nurses who received specialized training that allows them to adequately collect evidence and treat victims of sexual assault,” Enscoe said.

The Allegheny Health Network has two certified SANEs and 10 others who are trained in sexual assault nursing, but aren’t certified, according to a spokeswoman.

“Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners conduct critical forensic evidence collection when a sexual assault survivor seeks medical attention after being attacked. In addition to conducting forensic exams or rape kits, SANEs may provide expert testimony if a case goes to trial,” Vogel said. “Ultimately, these health care professionals are providing comprehensive, trauma-informed quality care to survivors of sexual assault.”

The bill identifies a funding stream for hospitals to establish and maintain operation of SANE programs, and directs the Department of Health to create a list of hospitals in the state that offer SANE services and to make that information available statewide.

SANE services would be expanded statewide using the existing Penn State University Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth (SAFE-T) Center program, which uses telehealth to provide victims with access to care provided by SANEs, according to a memorandum attached to the bill.

Penn State launched the SAFE-T Center with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime as a solution to enhance access to sexual assault care in underserved communities.

When a sexual assault examination is performed at a partner hospital, one of SAFE-T Center’s nurses participates through telehealth. The expert nurse appears on a screen where she can talk to, and support, both the on-site nurse and the patient. Through the program’s specialized digital telehealth technology, the nurse can also see the live exam in progress to ensure best practices, proper evidence collection and a safe, helpful environment for the patient, according to Penn State’s SAFE-T website.

SAFE-T nurses are available 24 hours a day through secure digital infrastructure, according to Penn State.

Hospitals in Bradford, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Dauphin, Huntingdon and Lycoming counties currently use the SAFE-T program, and hospitals in at least nine other counties are interested in it.

The bill also allows for continued training and connects examiners to a peer network, which has dramatically improved retention within the field.

“At facilities where a SANE is not available, victims may be seen by an untrained examiner or turned away without an exam,” Vogel said. “In many of those instances, victims must take it upon themselves to travel from one emergency room to the next until they are able to find a qualified examiner, with some traveling hours to other cities, or even other states, creating the very real potential for extensive wait times. This can all lead to secondary trauma, delays or errors in care, and improper collection of evidence.”

The three other bills in the Senate’s crime victim’s package include Bill 1179 that extends the address confidentiality provisions of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Victim Address Confidentiality Act to include the victims of child abduction and the victims of human trafficking. In addition, the bill updates the act to allow for applications for address confidentiality to be submitted electronically.

Bill 118 expands Megan’s Law to require offenders convicted of any sex trafficking-related offenses to register with state police.

Bill 1040 requires law enforcement agencies to communicate with the family of murder victims before releasing victim identification to the media.