Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) & Medical Forensic Program
Specialized, trauma-informed care for survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and non-fatal strangulation.
Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exams
Our SANE Team provides medical forensic examinations for sexual assault patients age 16 and older, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our participating emergency departments.
There is no cost to the patient for the medical forensic examination. You do not need insurance, and you are not required to file a police report to receive care.
Patients aged 15 and under are seen by our partner Our Kids at 615-341-4911, available 24 hours a day. Please call first. If you are not sure where to go, come to any location listed below and our team will help you get to the right place.
What to Expect During a Sexual Assault Exam
Every examination is individualized. You are in control of your care. You may choose which portions of the examination you want to take part in, and you may stop or decline any portion at any time.
Depending on your needs and preferences, your care may include:
- Connection with an advocate and community resources
- A private discussion about what happened and your current medical concerns
- Head-to-toe physical examination
- Assessment and documentation of injuries
- Forensic photography, with your consent
- Forensic evidence collection, when appropriate
- Testing and medications when indicated
- Education about your health and what symptoms to watch for
- Safety planning and connection to additional resources
- Coordination of follow-up medical care and support
You do not have to make every decision at once. Our goal is to provide information, options, and compassionate care while you make the decisions that are right for you.
Non-Fatal Strangulation & Interpersonal Violence
The NGH Medical Forensic Program also provides specialized evaluations for patients age 18 and older who have experienced non-fatal strangulation or other physical interpersonal violence, even when sexual assault did not occur. That includes intimate partner violence, violence within a family, elder abuse, abuse of a vulnerable adult, stalking, and human trafficking.
If you are under 18 and need care after a strangulation, call our SANE office at 615-341-4368 or come to the Nashville General Hospital Emergency Department, and we will help you get to the right place.
Strangulation can cause significant injury even when there are no visible marks on the neck. A medical forensic evaluation may include:
- Detailed history and strangulation symptom assessment
- Head-to-toe physical and neurologic examination
- Injury documentation
- Forensic photography
- Evidence collection when appropriate
- Assessment for the need for emergency or advanced medical care
- Patient education and return precautions
- Advocacy and safety planning
- Referrals and follow-up care
These evaluations are available at the Family Safety Center Clinic, a partner site operated by the Metro Office of Family Safety, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Walk-ins and appointments are both welcome, and no referral is needed. Outside those hours, come to the Nashville General Hospital Emergency Department, open 24 hours.
If you have concerning or emergency symptoms, call 911 or seek immediate emergency medical care.
What You Should Know
Advocacy & Community Support
Medical care is only one part of supporting a survivor. Our SANE Team works closely with advocates and community partners, including the Metro Office of Family Safety, the Sexual Assault Center, and Our Kids, to connect patients with services that may include safety planning, counseling, shelter and housing assistance, legal resources, Orders of Protection, and ongoing medical care.
The Team Behind the Care
Nashville General Hospital's SANE Team was the first of its kind in Nashville and has cared for survivors here since the late 1980s. Our examiners are nurse practitioners with advanced medical forensic training who choose this work.
The Sandra Myers Fund
The Sandra Myers Fund, established through the Nashville General Hospital Foundation, helps our SANE Program provide additional resources and support to survivors in our community. The fund honors Nashville's first adult Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
Community support helps us expand the resources available to survivors and strengthen medical forensic care throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
Questions About Our Services?
If you are in crisis or have acute needs, please call the Emergency Department at 615-341-4000. The numbers below are the SANE office line, for non-emergent questions.
For questions about the NGH SANE and Medical Forensic Program, please contact:
Katie Power, MSN, RN, FNP-C, SANE-A
NGH SANE Team
Katherine.power@nashvilleha.org
615-341-4368
Julie Davis, MSN, RN, FNP-C, SANE-A
NGH SANE Team
Julie.davis@nashvilleha.org
615-341-4368
SANE Team Office
Nashville General Hospital
1818 Albion Street
Nashville, TN 37208
If you need care now, go to any location listed under Where to Receive Care. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.