Free transportation to hospital connects students with sexual assault forensic examiners
New agreements with Carilion New Valley Medical Center and Lyft formalize student access to PERK exams at no cost.
Virginia Tech and Carilion New River Valley Medical Center have solidified a years-long partnership with a recent memorandum of understanding that makes forensic examiner services available to students in a critical time after experiencing a sexual assault.
The university also is providing a new way to travel to the hospital for these services at no cost to students.
These resources are the latest in ongoing efforts to improve resources and change the campus culture around sexual violence.
Access to PERK exams
Similar to the medical staff at the Schiffert Health Center, sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) an deliver immediate and long-term physical and psychological medical care to patients who have experienced a sexual assault. However, these nurses also are qualified to administer Physical Evidence Recovery Kits (PERK), exams that allow them to collect DNA evidence that could be used in legal proceedings.
Students who come to Schiffert or the medical center after a sexual assault are not required to have a PERK exam administered to them. If they choose to have on adminstered:
- Students are not required to press charges, make a report, or speak to the police.
- Students have the right to stop the exam at any time.
- Students can have a PERK exam completed up to 120 hours after the assault.
- Students can have the exam free of charge.
- Students will have access to an advocate who can help identify and navigate next steps.
“PERK exams are a medical process outside of law enforcement, so if they’re not ready for law enforcement to be involved, they can speak with and have evidence collected by a SANE nurse rather than an officer. It empowers the survivor to only initiate the criminal process when and if they are ready,” said detective K.A. Shaffer-Baker of the Virginia Tech Police Department, who addresses sexual violence cases.
Making the connection
In fall 2023, the Sexual Violence Cultural and Climate Work Group, which for two years worked to improve Virginia Tech’s response to and prevention of sexual violence, shifted to give necessary focus to enhancing prevention resources and strategies while continuing to improve resources for survivors.
That September, conversations began among those engaged in sexual violence advocacy and prevention — including the Virginia Tech Women’s Center, Hokie Wellness, and their off-campus partners — to explore ways to better connect students with forensic examiners.
As the closest hospital with a forensic nurse program, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center has long been a vital resource for the Blacksburg campus, and so Virginia Tech’s Women’s Center referred the Schiffert Health Center to the hospital to continue the conversation and help evaluate their options.
“We wanted to make sure that however we offered this service, we could do it in the best way possible,” said Christine Smith, director of advocacy services for the Campus Advocacy Resources Education for Survivors (CARES) program offered by the Women’s Center.
While a sexual assault nurse examiners program on campus was considered, it became clear that Carilion New River Valley Medical Center remained the best immediate source to receive a PERK exam, as the medical center has
- A reliable sexual assault nurse examiners program in place that can supply the necessary clinical hours for certification, at a time when these specialized nurses are challenging to recruit
- Nurses who are on-call 24/7
- The necessary equipment, transportation, and legal processes in place to meet state standards
“SANE nurses are very specialized because they’re a part of the legal system and their work and operating procedures must meet specific standards. And fortunately, Carilion already has all of that in place,” says Kanitta Charoensiri, director of Schiffert Health Center, who led the talks.
In January, Schiffert Health Center began discussions with the medical center to create the memorandum of understanding as the Virginia General Assembly introduced legislation requiring public four-year colleges and universities to provide access to certified sexual assault forensic examiners.
The memorandum of understanding guarantees students access to forensic examiners and went into effect Aug. 22.
Free transportation to the hospital
Students who need safe, reliable transportation to and from Carilion New River Valley Medical Center following a sexual assault can continue to request an escort by the Virginia Tech Police Department.
In addition, students now also have an alternative mode of transportation to the hospital, free of charge, using Lyft. The university can subsidize the cost of rides by emailing a Lyft Pass by way of a number of student-facing offices, including Schiffert Health Center, the Women’s Center, and the Dean of Students Office.
Students who do not have access to the Lyft app can have rides booked on their behalf by the Dean of Students Office. Ride details are sent by text or phone call and can be scheduled immediately or up to 30 days in advance.
Lyft drivers go through annual background checks and complete a safety program through the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, while the app itself has a silent 911 button to help prioritize safety and well-being.
Learn more about this service on the Dean of Students Office website.
Building an “ecosystem of resources”
This formalized access to care and transportation is among a wave of expanded sexual violence response and prevention resources in the last few years, including
- The SAFE at VT website, a centralized resource for survivors and their supporters, that gives information on how to report a sexual assault, an explanation of the reporting process, and options for receiving immediate help
- A redesign of the Time Warnings structure to direct recipients to further resources
- Expanded response and prevention training for student employees in residence halls
- The creation of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office in fall 2024 to lead programming and strategies that advance sexual violence prevention as a shared responsibility of the entire Virginia Tech community
The goal is for each new resource to give students further agency in how they choose to heal and navigate interpersonal relationships.
“It’s all about access and making sure our students have access to the best possible support,” said Smith. “Part of that is building a bigger ecosystem of resources that students can rely on.”
