Sixth Annual Twitter Chat is April 26, Join the Conversation

OMAHA – If you don’t think sexual assault or domestic violence is an issue in our country or right here in Omaha, then think about these numbers from the national NO MORE organization:

• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes
• 1 in 3 teens experience sexual or physical abuse or threats from a boyfriend or girlfriend in one year
• 1 in 5 women are survivors of rape
• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced some form of sexual violence

These statistics and the fact  Methodist provides care and support to more than 300 survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence each year is why Methodist Health System will host its sixth annual SANE/SART Twitter Chat April 26 from noon to 1 p.m.

First launched in 2012, the Twitter Chat is held in April in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month

“The social media discussion was important in 2012 and it has continued to be an important tool for us to raise awareness, educate and support the survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking,” said Jen Tran, coordinator of the Methodist Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program. “There can be a lot of misrepresentation about these issues and we want to use this platform as a means to share accurate information, resources and end the stigma often associated with these events.

The April 26 event will bring together agencies like the Women’s Fund of Omaha, Women’s Center for Advancement, UNO, Creighton, law enforcement, Survivors Rising, Men Against Domestic Violence Action Coalition, Douglas County prosecutors, and members of the media. Participation is easy. Hop on Twitter at noon on April 26, follow @MethodistHealth and join the conversation using #NoMore.

The hour long chat will cover the topics of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking – including consent, educational information, community support and resources.

“We couldn’t do the work we do with survivors without many of the people and agencies that will be in the room with us on April 26.” Tran said. “Helping these survivors goes way beyond our initial exam and support of these individuals. There are so many agencies and champions for these issues in our community and it’s exciting to bring everyone together for a cause we are all so passionate about.”

SANE, which stands for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, is a medical provider who has expertise in the care, treatment and evidence collection specific to these situations. The SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) includes the SANE nurse, a physician, victim advocate and law enforcement.  

Earlier this month Methodist became the first adolescent/adult SANE program in the city to obtain CortexFlo Cameras, which are high quality digital SLR cameras that are more maneuverable, controlled via voice command, and can annotate during an exam. The new technology allows the 25 SANE nurses to provide an even more thorough exam and enhances the evidence collection process.

The Heidi Wilke SANE/SART program at Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital began caring for victims of sexual assault in 2003. In that first year, the forensic nursing team saw 27 cases of sexual assault. In 2014, the program expanded by adding services to care for those impacted by domestic violence.