CHRISTUS Good Shepherd SANE Program Marks 3 Years of Serving Community

Longview, TX, Aug. 5, 2022 – The CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program is marking 3 years of serving the community this month after returning to the Longview healthcare ministry in 2019.

The CHRISTUS Good Shepherd SANE program aids in prosecution of sexual assaults in Gregg and nearby counties, and is the only program of its kind here. SANE nurses are trained to perform forensic exams and evidence collection after a reported sexual assault. The SANE nurses work out of the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center – Longview Emergency Care Center, but are available for referrals from Longview Regional Medical Center or other area medical outlets.

“Assault can affect someone’s life forever,” said Karen Roberts, M.D., medical director of the SANE Program at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd. “The SANE program gives the dignity back to those who are assaulted – not just women – and it gives them the opportunity to seek justice. The SANE program helps people be able to go on and lead normal, productive lives and have normal relationships. And yes, SANE nurses are trained to look for and preserve evidence, but they are also trained in compassion and empathy. Essentially, the SANE program seeks to repair the tears in the fabric of our community brought on by sexual assault.”

The nurses are a critical part of the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team, which includes law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, the Women’s Center of East Texas and The Martin House Child Advocacy Center by name, which covers Gregg, Harrison, and Marion counties. The SANE program also plays a critical role in combatting human trafficking in the region.