MADISON, Wis.– Dane County is home to more than half a million people, but only one place to find forensic nurse exams, also known as rape kits. Two local women are working to change that.
Kim Curran is a nurse practitioner, and Rachel Sattler is a lawyer. Together, they run a support network called DaneMAC, to help survivors of sexual assault schedule forensic exams with specially-trained nurses outside of the ER at a time and place that’s convenient for them.
“We have literally, individually and collectively, worked with hundreds of victims,” Curran said in an exclusive interview with News 3 Now.
Through their decades of experience, the women know many sexual assaults in Dane County go unreported because survivors don’t know where to go and can’t find the help they need. Currently, Meriter is the only local hospital that offers rape kits.
That’s why, as part of Forward Fest, Curran and Sattler are taking their services one step further: pitching a new ‘portal’ or virtual platform, where survivors can upload the story of their assault once, and not have to relive the trauma again and again.
“We link survivors to services, and the services that serve survivors to each other,” explained Sattler. “We hear everyday in our work that navigating the systems of support can be as traumatic as the assault itself.”
“This is a constant theme,” Curran added. “Whether it was five years ago or five days ago.”
The portal is also a place for survivors of domestic, elder, or child abuse to find which of Dane County’s 50 different victim service providers, like Madison’s Rape Crisis Center, can best help them, for free.
“We’re failing survivors if the very support we’re trying to provide is making their lives worse in someway,” said Sattler.
Sattler and Curran pitched their idea as part of Forward Fest‘s social impact contest and will find out later this week if they’ve won the $2500 prize, which the pair will use to expand their platform to other counties, college campuses, and military bases.
Click here to learn more about DaneMAC.
The women also rely on donations to keep DaneMAC’s services free for survivors. Click here to make a donation.
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