Concerns have been raised by an advocacy group which has reported sexual assault survivors have faced barriers in receiving services at Health Sciences North, an issue the hospital attributes to staffing shortages.
She Matters said three survivors of sexual assault were unable to access care at Health Sciences North within the last two weeks. Other survivors have also come forward to say they too were unable to access care at the Sudbury-based hospital in the past, the group said.
The board of She Matters made a social media post after a board member was told three survivors of sexual assault presented to the hospital at different times but were told because there was no Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) available, they would have to return to the hospital at a later time.
She Matters has been featured on a national news program for their work on a study that showed the gaps in access to sexual assault crisis care across Canada. You can read more about that study here.
Sudburian Jacqueline Villeneuve-Ahmed, founder and director of She Matters, told Sudbury.com the group is especially concerned due to the involvement of a survivor who is a minor.
A SANE is a nurse trained in the forensic photography and handling of evidence obtained for the sexual assault evidence kit, often called a rape kit. SANE are also instructed on how to accurately testify to the evidence in a court of law.
Villeneuve-Ahmed said the training is a course offered by institutions like Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.
After the collection process, survivors can decide to either store the evidence from the kit and decide later, or immediately go to law enforcement if they decide to pursue justice through the legal system.
The board at She Matters said the lack of SANE has been an issue at the hospital before.
“We know that this has occurred more than once,” said Villeneuve-Ahmed. “This was not the first time, it’s been several over a period of several years.”
Sudbury.com reached out to HSN for an interview. A written statement was issued instead, then posted to the hospital’s website and their Facebook page, with the ability to comment disabled.
As part of the statement, HSN attributed the issue to staffing shortages.
“HSN, just like all other hospitals, is experiencing staffing shortages. We are working to recruit more nursing staff to our team to care for survivors as quickly as possible,” reads the statement from HSN spokesperson, Didier Pilon. He specifies that survivors are not ”turned away,” but treated for emergency care and then asked to return for their SAEK when a SANE is available. “Survivors are not turned away and receive immediate medical care by the ED clinical team. However, depending on staffing shortages, survivors could be asked to return within a timeframe that’s clinically recommended through the OHA guidelines.”
“We recognize this is not ideal for survivors and apologize for any stress this process causes.”
The statement said HSN “is committed to treating and supporting all survivors of sexual assault with compassion, dignity and respect. We are also committed to working with our community partners to ensure seamless care for patients and survivors.”
In addition to explaining the role of the SANE, and the method for patients to access care at the hospital, the statement notes that HSN, as one of 38 Ontario sites designated sexual assault or domestic violence treatment centres, they “follow the Ontario Hospital Association’s (OHA) Hospital Guidelines for the Treatment of Persons Who Have Been Sexually Assaulted.”
Survivors are asked to present to the emergency department to receive care, and from there, they will be connected to support through the VIPP program. That program is where the care from a SANE is offered.
“The SANE is a nurse who is needed to administer a sexual assault evidence (SAEK) kit, as this requires specialized and extensive training,” reads the statement.
HSN states that as staff shortages are “system-wide,” a provincial navigation line was created for survivors “to access additional support and find access to the nearest treatment centre in Ontario and the nearest available health-care professional.”
This service can be accessed by calling 855-628-7238, or by visiting sadvtreatmentcentres.ca.
The statement ends with an apology to those who were “not satisfied with the care they received.”
“We encourage individuals who have concerns to please reach out to our Patient Relations team to safely share their experience, allowing HSN the opportunity for review and follow up.”
Patient Relations can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by calling 705-523-7100, ext 3737.
Villeneuve-Ahmed told Sudbury.com the board has been in touch with the Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (VIPP) at HSN in the past, seeking a dialogue regarding accessibility.
After the incidents were reported to She Matters, Villeneuve-Ahmed said the board reached out to several community stakeholders, including HSN, as well as Greater Sudbury Police, Sudbury Victim Services and other community groups. Villeneuve-Ahmed said almost every group returned with a request to meet and discuss. All but HSN.
As one of the 38 Ontario sites designated sexual assault or domestic violence treatment centres, it means that patients from outlying areas of the North could be referred to Sudbury. “And being one of the 38 sites, they (HSN) are funded to have an adequate number of SANE so that there's someone always on call to serve survivors,” said Villenuve-Ahmed. “If you actually refer to HSN website, it says that if you access the VIPP services, you're supposed to be triaged as the highest priority, which is aligned with the Ontario Hospital Association's guidelines and seen within 30 to 45 minutes of presenting to hospital.”
She said that depending on where they live, “you may have survivors who are traveling upwards of two hours to come and access a sexual assault evidence kit (SAEK) at HSN.”
Villeneuve-Ahmed said the board at She Matters feel that their calls for increased access to SANEs have gone unanswered.
“They're just haven't been efforts made to really rectify any of those concerns brought forward,” she said. “In this particular instance, we just couldn't stay silent.”
When Villeneuve-Ahmed and the board read the statement on the HSN website, they sent a response to Sudbury.com.
“Survivors facing denial of Sexual Assault Evidence Kits (SAEKs) deserve immediate solutions,” it reads. “As we acknowledge social accountability in medicine, we must ensure immediate care and support are provided to survivors in our community.
They state that In compliance with OHA guidelines, survivors must be triaged and treated promptly. “Denying Sexual Assault Evidence Kits (SAEKs) contradicts these policies,” said She Matters.
They state that they advocate for accountability, trauma-informed support, and an interim policy to transfer survivors to nearby hospitals with SAEK access.
“We welcome the opportunity to dialogue further with HSN and community stakeholders to implement solutions to address systemic gaps,” reads the statement.
In future, said Villeneuve-Ahmed, survivors and their loved ones can use the resources available through She Matters, including a map of available SAEK and hospitals, and find links to resources to help advocate for themselves, or to connect with someone who can help.
Jenny Lamothe covers vulnerable and marginalized communities for Sudbury.com.
