This article describes the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Telehealth (SAFE‐T) Center—a nurse‐led model for providing comprehensive, high‐quality sexual assault care in rural and underserved communities recently implemented at three hospitals in rural Pennsylvania.
Rural and underserved communities are handicapped in providing access to specialized health care, including sexual assault care. Telehealth is an effective solution for providing access to an array of specialized health care services. Prior sexual assault telehealth programs have provided evidence that telehealth is a feasible and acceptable means of improving access to healthcare for underserved solution; however, there is scant information about program development and considerations in the literature to guide those planning to implement a sexual assault telehealth program in their communities. This article first describes how academic researchers partnered with multiple stakeholders to form a statewide advisory board and establish a vision and mission for the SAFE‐T Center that meets the needs of local communities. This article then describes the overall design of the model, how it was informed by the academic‐community partnership, and how each element relates to anticipated outcomes. The article also presents plans for program evaluation, expansion, and sustainability. (publisher abstract modified