08
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2016
DECADE EDITION
A trip to theemergency roomcanbeascary
experience. It’saplacewegowhenwe’reatour
mostvulnerable–afteranaccident, injuryor
duringahealthcrisis.
By the timepeopleget to theemergency room,
thehealingbeginsas they receivemedical care to
helpwith thesituation. Forvictimsofdomesticand
sexual assault, theemergency room isasafeplace,
but thecircumstances thatbring them therecreate
awidearrayof emotionsunique fromanyother
typeof circumstance.
Domesticandsexual assaultaremajor issues in
thiscountryand locally. According to information
providedby theWausauPoliceDepartment,
therewere46 reportedcasesof sexual assault in
MarathonCounty in just the first three-and-a-half
monthsof 2016.Of those, 35were in thecityof
Wausau. Additionally, TheWomen’sCommunity
reports that in2015, theyprovidedsexual assault
victimservices to505peopleandprovided8,838
nightsof shelter to158victimsofdomesticabuse.
Aspirus isadvancingaSexual AssaultNurse
Examiner (SANE)program tosupport childrenand
adultvictimsduring this traumatic timeof their
lives. Theprogramprovidesmedical careand
theexpertiseneeded tocorrectlycollect forensic
evidence topursuecriminal convictionsagainst
theirabusers.Proceeds from thisyear’sGolfClassic
will supportextensive training fornurses, aswell
SpecializedCarewhen
it’sNeededMost
Addressingphysical,emotionalneeds
ofdomesticandsexualassaultvictims
JillianKurtzhals,patrolofficerandmemberofthe
DomesticAbuseResponseTeamwiththeWausau
PoliceDepartment.
