Valued Voice

On Nov. 3, Executive Director of the WHA Foundation Leigh Ann S. Larson visited Ascension St. Joseph’s in Milwaukee to award the hospital the WHA Foundation’s 2025 Global Vision Community Partnership award, recognizing their work for the Mobile Sexual Assault Treatment Center and Anti-Human Trafficking Program (SATC).

L to R: Amy Berentes CNO/COO Ascension Franklin, SANE executive lead; Suzanne Kirk RN, FNE; Leah Eckhart, RN, FNE; Rachel Cortez RN, CEN, SANE-A, SANE-P, Ascension Mobile Sexual Assault Treatment Center supervisor; Leigh Ann S. Larson, Vice President of Education and Marketing, Executive Director, WHA Foundation; Danielle Opahle, SANE/DV advocate; Shana S. Crittenden, president, Ascension St. Joseph; Lisa Bosman, RN, nursing director, Ascension St. Joseph 

Ascension St. Joseph’s SATC was created as a direct response to critical community health gaps identified in southeastern Wisconsin. Through needs assessments, hospital emergency department data and feedback from law enforcement and advocacy partners, it became clear that survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and related abuse lacked consistent access to timely, trauma-informed forensic medical care, forcing many to travel long distances or go without essential services. These unmet needs disproportionately affected vulnerable populations including immigrants, victims of domestic violence and victims of human trafficking. 

In response, Ascension St. Joseph’s created a mobile, 24/7 care model that ensures survivors receive immediate, culturally sensitive medical and social support services in a safe hospital setting. Forensic Nurse Examiners (FNEs) meet the patient where they are, rather than transferring care to another site. Due to its overwhelming success, community response and demonstrated need in the Fox Valley region, the Ascension Mobile SATC program is now expanding into the Fox Cities. This expansion brings 24/7 forensic medical care and trauma-informed survivor support to Ascension hospitals in Appleton (Outagamie County), Chilton (Calumet County) and Oshkosh (Winnebago County), establishing SATC services in every primary Ascension emergency department across the state of Wisconsin.

Congratulations to Ascension St. Joseph’s and the Mobile Sexual Assault Treatment Center and Anti-Human Trafficking Program (SATC)! 

Established in 1993, the goal of the Global Vision Community Partnership Award is to provide recognition, financial support and public awareness of a community health initiative or project, created in partnership with a WHA member, that successfully addresses a documented community health need. Partnerships must reach across the community or population served and the program must be an active, ongoing enterprise at the time of the nomination.