Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners

WATCH: SANEs and survivors in the South, a listening session with the Gulf States Newsroom

The Gulf States Newsroom hosted a virtual discussion of Drew Hawkins' reporting on the shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners in the region.

Public Health

Trauma-informed nurses help sexual assault survivors. Most hospitals don’t have them.

Drew Hawkins

Alabama has 44 certified SANEs for the entire state. Louisiana has 42. Mississippi only has 6 — for a population of almost three million.

The Louisiana Sexual Assault Oversight Commission meets in the Claiborne Building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

Public Health

Bill aims to fix Louisiana’s ‘broken’ care system for sexual assault survivors

Drew Hawkins

The bill, introduced by state Rep. Travis Johnson, calls for improved information for patients and a comprehensive audit of the state’s resources for care.

Nurse Rebecca Havlik talks to teleSANE Shalotta Sharp at Hearts of Hope, a sexual assault center in Lafayette, Louisiana, on December 4, 2024.

WWNO

The Gulf South needs more sexual assault nurse examiners. Is teleSANE the answer?

Drew Hawkins

While some see telemedicine as a useful tool to help provide care to sexual assault survivors, others believe it's not enough to solve the nursing shortage.

Shalotta Sharp explains sexual assault programs in Mississippi to a group of nurses training to become sexual assault nurse examiners in Meridian, Mississippi, on July 8, 2024.

Public Health

This free training aims to address the Gulf South's shortage of sexual assault nurses

Drew Hawkins

The week-long, free program gives medical professionals tools to provide trauma-informed care — and potentially help with prosecutions.