SAFE NYC: Quality Care for Assault Victims

The Sexual Assault Reform Act in New York State requires that the sexual assault forensic examiner (SAFE) programs in hospitals are 24-hour centers with certified individual SAFE examiners, and are approved by the New York State Department of Health.

These programs ensure that victims of sexual assault are provided with competent, compassionate, and prompt care. In 2008, New York State was severely underserved with these specialized services: only 39 out of 201 hospitals, and 19 out of 55 hospitals with emergency departments, were designated as SAFE Centers of Excellence. To better address the needs of victims of sexual assault, the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault (the Alliance) developed a model for training health care providers to offer emergency care that prioritizes the health and service needs of patients, while allowing for the collection of forensic data. In 2008, the New York Health Foundation awarded a grant to the Alliance to build the capacity of its SAFE Training Institute.