(Seguin) – Community support is not only helping GRMC better treat patients who have been sexually abused or strangled, but it is only helping victims with the prosecution of their cases. Guadalupe Regional Medical Center has welcomed a $2,500 donation towards the purchase of a forensic camera to be used by its SANE (Sexual Assault Nursing Examiner) Department.
The Contrast SDFI Forensic Camera System is designed “to see and capture high resolution images and video within the ultraviolet light spectrum.
The SDFI or Secure Digital Forensic Imaging camera system essentially works to better detail wounds especially those that are not visible to the naked eye. Grateful to have received funding for the technology is SANE Nurse Christie McGuire. She says it’s incredibly appreciated because this camera is by far top of the line. She says the equipment that they have now is not conducive to taking external injury photographs and is not designed to take photos from head to toe.
More importantly, she says this new technology will allow them to better serve all patients that walk through their doors.
“We don’t just do sexual assault cases. We do strangulations which we’ve been seeing a lot of that lately and when there is a strangulation case or any kind of domestic violence, child abuse or (sex) trafficking case, there is usually a lot of physical injuries to the outside of the body and so, this CFI camera has a filter system built in that gives you very very consistent, high quality photographs that can view things that your naked eye cannot see. There’s so many additional things that come with the camera,” said McGuire.
This new camera not only captures photo documentation of solid evidence but also those of fluids.
By allowing medical staff to see more closely the damage underneath the skin, McGuire says this new camera can not only help treat patients on the spot but can ultimately help save their life especially in strangulation cases.
“You can die seven days after strangulation so anytime that somebody comes in with a sexual assault – say we are in there doing an exam and the minute when we are doing the history and they mention anything about a strangulation, we immediately stop the SANE exam and we take them straight to the ER for CT imaging in order to rule out any kind of damage because it doesn’t take whole lot of pressure to cause those kinds of injuries,” said McGuire.
She says any and all details captured outside the neck with the camera is what McGuire says is the real game changer in these unfortunate cases.
“It’s the only camera that images are immiscible in a court. That’s a real big deal for us too because that’s what this is all about is not just taking care of the victim but also the prosecution,” said McGuire.
Nicole Patek, executive director of emergency services at GRMC, says the SANE nursing forensics department is a huge benefit to a community and applauds outside support like the support shown by the Kiwanis Club of Seguin.
“The donation is a huge benefit. We do have Elaine (Bennett) and the foundation that is helping us to write grants and secure these donations. The SANE Department is not a department that is any kind of money maker or anything so these nurses obviously cost money but their technology cost a lot of money and these patients aren’t being charged for this type of service so when they come into the hospital, we work to secure funding through Crime Victim and so this isn’t really what you would call a money making department so we really do rely on donations to help stay at the top of our game as far as technology goes,” said Patek.
Thankful to have been able to help with the cost is Kiwanis Club Secretary Danny Vinson. Vinson says after learning the importance of what is described as “the ultimate solution for contrast forensic photography, the club knew it had to show its support.
“But no, we were not familiar with it. It just intrigued us when it was presented to us of what it could be used for, its purposes, how it operated. We thought this was a very needed piece of equipment to help the hospital be more efficient when it comes to child abuse cases or really any kind of abuse cases,” said Vinson.
The total cost of the camera is $33,500. Hospital officials are welcoming other donations for the piece of equipment and other needs at GRMC. Those interested in giving are asked to contact the hospital foundation at 830-401-1385.