Main Line Health partners with SAFE-T System to provide support for victims of sexual assault

Main Line Health partners with SAFE-T System to provide support for victims of sexual assault

Bryn Mawr, PA - Main Line Health, known for delivering high-quality, comprehensive care in the Philadelphia area and beyond for more than 40 years, is partnering with SAFE-T System (Sexual Assault Telehealth System) to enhance sexual assault care for its communities.

SAFE-T System combines nurse-led expertise, secure technology and over a decade of research to support hospitals, clinicians and survivors during forensic telehealth sexual assault examinations. SAFE-T System helps ensure trauma-informed care, proper evidence collection, and consistent quality. This comprehensive support helps patients take their first step toward healing in a safe and supportive environment.

"Finding new ways to support victims of sexual assault is a priority in our community," said Elizabeth (Craig) Connelly, DNP, RN, FACHE, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Main Line Health. "We are excited to partner with SAFE-T System to bring top quality sexual assault care to victims who seek help at our hospitals. Nothing could be more valuable than having expert nurses available 24/7 to support our staff and patients."

The SAFE-T System will be available at all four Main Line Health acute care hospitals - Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital.

When someone presents to one of the hospitals after experiencing sexual violence, they will have immediate access to a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). SANEs have extensive experience providing sexual assault care, and thanks to SAFE-T System's specialized forensic telehealth technology, their expertise is accessible to our community.

Access to SANEs with this level of training and experience is often limited to large urban sexual assault centers. However, Main Line Health's innovative partnership with SAFE-T System makes it possible to have this expertise at our locations in Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties. The SAFE-T System telehealth SANE (teleSANE) can observe the live exam in progress, helping ensure best practices, proper evidence collection and a safe, supportive environment for the patient.

"The expert nurse appears on a screen where they can talk to and support both the on-site nurse and the patient," said Sheridan Miyamoto, Associate Professor of Nursing at Penn State and Director and Founder of the SAFE-T System. "This is a true partnership. Our goal is to make sure the on-site nurse feels supported and confident during the exam and that the patient knows that they are getting the best care possible."

Sexual assault forensic examinations are free to patients, and there is no charge for SAFE-T System telehealth support. Forensic examination services are available at Main Line Health hospital emergency departments 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

About Main Line Health

Founded in 1985, Main Line Health® is a not-for-profit health system serving the Philadelphia region and beyond. Main Line Health consists of five hospitals, seven health centers and over 150 medical practice locations. The System has more than 14,000 employees and over 2,100 employed and independent physicians and advanced practice providers.

At its core are four of the region's most respected acute care hospitals - Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital - as well as one of the nation's premier facilities for rehabilitative medicine, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. Main Line Health also includes Mirmont Treatment Center for drug and alcohol recovery; Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, providing skilled home healthcare and hospice services; Main Line Health Centers, primary and specialty care, lab and radiology and other outpatient services located in Broomall, Collegeville, Concordville, Devon, Exton, King of Prussia and Newtown Square; and Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research organization.

Main Line Health's medical staff benefits from a collaborative relationship including independent physicians, community healthcare professionals and hospital-based experts from Main Line HealthCare, the employed multi-specialty physician network of Main Line Health.

Main Line Health collaborates with top experts to deliver exceptional specialty care. Through our affiliation with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, doctors and advanced practice providers care for pediatric patients at select Main Line Health locations, including the neonatal intensive care units at Main Line Health's four acute care hospitals, as well as Bryn Mawr Hospital's Inpatient Pediatric Unit and Emergency Department. Jefferson Health neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists provide 24/7 specialized care, including neurointervention and lifesaving stroke care, and trauma surgeons provide critical care to our patients. Through our affiliation with Sheppard Pratt - a nonprofit provider of mental health services, substance use, developmental disability and other comprehensive behavioral health support - patients receive compassionate care in a welcoming environment.

For more information, visit mainlinehealth.org and connect with us on social media:

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