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Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

For patients who have been sexually assaulted, the physical and emotional injuries require clinicians who can offer trauma-informed care and community collaboration for continued support. Lawrence General is proud to be the first hospital in Massachusetts to provide the Massachusetts Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) Program to care for our community's adolescent/adult population. Massachusetts Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are clinicians who have received specialized training and certification from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to care for sexual assault patients.

At no cost to patients, they provide medical forensic examinations in an ED, ICU, or OR at designated hospitals or virtually via the Program's TeleSANE Center. MA SANE care is available whether or not a patient chooses to report their assault to law enforcement. To date, this program has grown, providing on-call 24/7 SANE in-person response to designated hospitals, specialized training, and certification for nurses and physicians in the care of sexual assault patients throughout the Commonwealth. The program's mission is to deliver compassionate, comprehensive, expert, forensic nursing care to sexual assault patients of all ages across the Commonwealth.

Lawrence General Hospital is proud to be one of the designated 24/7 in-person SANE sites. Having an agreement with the Massachusetts Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) program will provide our patients with expert care to complete a medical forensic exam for patients of all ages. Additionally, Lawrence General's program offers clothing and other resources to assault victims when they leave the hospital. It is one of the few in Massachusetts specially trained to treat children under 12 years of age.

Accreditations

American College of Surgeons Accreditation

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FAQs

When should I call 911?

Calling 911 should be reserved for medical emergencies and serious accidents. In the case of chest pain, shortness of breath, uncontrolled bleeding, stroke symptoms, falls or severe burns, a call to 911 is in order.

How long will my visit to the Emergency Center take?

That depends on a whole host of factors. But suffice it to say, virtually the minute you enter the Emergency Center, a triage nurse will evaluate you and assess the severity of illness and begin your tests right away based on established protocols. The tests may include lab work, which takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour; X-rays, which take about an hour; and CT scans, which can take several hours. These tests are all part of diagnosing and treating your illness or injury appropriately. Nurses will keep you informed of your status throughout your stay and will help to make sure that you and your family are comfortable and cared for.

What types of specialized treatment do you provide?

Our Emergency Center is a certified Level III Trauma Center capable of treating, diagnosing and stabilizing all types of trauma. You may be stabilized and transferred to a Level I trauma center in Boston if needed or treated right here at Lawrence General in your own community. The Emergency Center is a certified Stroke Center, enabling us to diagnose and treat patients who may be having a stroke. We are able to use "clot-busting" medications if appropriate to treat the stroke. Neurologists are on call 24/7 to consult and assist in your care. Patients presenting with symptoms of a Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) are able to receive advanced treatment in our state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab. A team is on call 24/7 to respond and intervene with life-saving angioplasty treatment. The Emergency Center has a team of specially trained nurses to treat the victims of sexual assaults. Of the various hospitals in the area, Lawrence General is the only one registered as part of the Commonwealth's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, and we are able to treat children as well as adults.

What if my problems are mental rather than physical?

We are also able is able to provide emergency mental health care to those in a psychiatric crisis in conjunction with Health Education Services.