New York State Designated SAFE Site

The legislation directs the Department to designate interested hospitals inÊNew YorkÊState as sites of 24- hour Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Programs. These hospitals are centers of excellence for the provision of sexual assault services modeled upon the State's trauma centers.

The Department, in conjunction with an expert work group, has developed standards for certification of SAFE programs, individual sexual assault forensic examiners and training programs for sexual assault forensic examiners. The program and individual examiner standards and certification requirements for the SAFE initiative have been disseminated to all hospitals in New York State.

University Hospital has a contract with Vera House, Inc. to provide SAFE services here.

What does this mean for patients?

• 12 Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE's)ÊÊare trained and available to respond to sexual assault victims in Onondaga County
• University Hospital is currently the only hospital designated as a SAFE Center of Excellence in Onondaga County
• Of the 158 victims of sexual assault seen by SANE in Onondaga County in 2006, 105 were seen at University Hospital