Telehealth network helps Boone Health provide faster support to sexual assault survivors
Euphenie Andre
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Tuesday announced the launch of a statewide telehealth network designed to help hospitals that do not have Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners available onsite.
The department released training for the Sexual Assault Forensic Exams via Telehealth Network in August 2024 to support hospital staff across the state. Hospitals have until Jan. 1, 2026, to train staff and begin offering their own forensic programs, but the network will provide immediate support in the meantime.
Boone Health spokesman Christian Basi said the program has already made a difference.
When a sexual assault victim arrives at a hospital, staff can activate the telehealth system. The program connects the hospital to an on-call SANE nurse, who guides the provider in the room step-by-step through the forensic exam.
Basi said Boone Health sees about two-to-three sexual assault patients each month. In the past, those patients were often redirected to other facilities.
“It’s critical because when you do have a sexual assault, time is critical in collecting the evidence. And previously, or if we did not have this network, we would likely have to transfer the patient or refer them to another facility that had a SANE nurse,” he said.
Hospitals across Missouri can decide whether to rely on their own SANE nurses or use the telehealth system. MU Health Care is currently the only hospital in Columbia with certified SANE nurses on staff.