McLaren Central Michigan, which provides the region’s only specialized program dedicated to assisting survivors in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, has again expanded its Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program by adding an additional nurse with an advanced designation.
Nurse Kathleen Swirtz, RN, has earned SANE-A accreditation from the International Association of Forensic Nurses.
Available 24/7 to any person over the age of 13 in the McLaren Central Michigan emergency department, SANE nurses are specially trained and experienced in the care of those having experienced an assault and administer a comprehensive private exam to document, collect, and process any forensic evidence. They also provide crisis intervention support and referrals to counseling and any needed follow-up medical care.
“Providing our SANE program is not simply a service we provide, but it is part of our larger commitment to providing care with dignity and healing,” said Robert David, McLaren Central Michigan President and CEO. “It is imperative that survivors of a sexual assault receive compassionate and expert care to ensure the proper medical attention is provided. We are grateful to be in the position to expand this program through the addition of Kathleen and better serve the region with this important service.”
While based in McLaren Central Michigan and Isabella County, the hospital’s SANE program is unique to the northern lower peninsula region and serves the nine surrounding counties.
First offering the accreditation in 2002, earning SANE-A demonstrates a nurse’s commitment and ability to “the highest standards of forensic nursing” while ensuring they have developed the “knowledge and expertise to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to survivors of sexual assault.”
Nurses can also testify in court, however police involvement is not necessary to receive an examination, though nurses encourage survivors to report, but will support their ultimate decision.
Individuals needing a SANE examination can contact the McLaren Central Michigan emergency department at (989) 772-6777.
More information on SANE, what constitutes sexual assault, prevention strategies and other resources, visit mclaren.org/centralsane.
Learn more about all services provided at McLaren Central Michigan at mclaren.org/centralmichigan.
About McLaren Central Michigan
McLaren Central Michigan is a 118-bed acute care hospital located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It offers a full range of health and wellness services including primary care, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine and cancer services. McLaren Central Michigan is recognized as an accessible and dependable source of quality medical care for residents of Mount Pleasant, Isabella County and central Michigan. In addition to its medical staff of over 50 active physicians, it is affiliated with more than 150 other quality providers. The hospital is one of the region’s largest employers, with approximately 550 employees and another 100 volunteers. McLaren Central Michigan received the Governor’s Award of Excellence in 2017 and 2019 and is named as one of the Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals in the United States by the Chartis Center for Rural Health. It is the only hospital in the central Michigan area to receive a Safety “A” grade in the Hospital Safety report in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Learn more at mclaren.org/centralmichigan.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $7.3 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 12 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 640-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 732,838 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.