A Better Way: Ellinwood Nurses Bring Compassionate Sexual Assault Care Close to Home

ELLINWOOD, Kan. — She had already experienced something no one should have to endure.

Then came the waiting.

Hours in an emergency department with a medical team that wanted to help but lacked specialized training. Only to hear she’d have to drive more than an hour to receive the care she needed.

For Ashley Komarek, APRN, the experience was difficult to forget.

"I remember thinking there has to be a better way," Komarek said. "The experience of navigating the healthcare system wasn't exactly conducive to her healing, and it really opened my eyes to how much more we could be doing for survivors."

Today, that experience is part of the reason survivors of sexual assault can receive specialized care at Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic without traveling to another community.

Forensic Nursing Week is recognized Nov. 2-8; Komarek and three fellow nurses are sharing the personal commitment behind the hospital's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program and why access to compassionate care matters in rural Kansas.

For Komarek, the motivation wasn’t only professional. Personal experiences shaped her determination to make care accessible.

"Some of us know what it's like to not have the resources, support, or even the knowledge of where to turn after something like this," Komarek said. "Our own experiences with seeking care weren't always what they should have been, and that really stays with you."

Those experiences helped bring together four nurses with different backgrounds but a shared purpose: ensuring survivors in their community have somewhere safe to turn.

Komarek; Shelbi Frees, APRN; Rebecca Rebel, RN; and Allison McAtee, RN, have invested countless hours in specialized training, including trauma-informed care, forensic evidence collection and the medical and legal responsibilities of sexual assault examinations.

"Our program isn't just four nurses who can perform a forensic exam," Komarek said. "It's a team that has invested countless hours into specialized training, understands the medical and legal complexities, and genuinely wants people in the community to know they have somewhere safe to turn."

In rural communities, distance can become another barrier to care. For survivors of sexual assault, not having care locally can mean delayed treatment, transportation challenges and having to recount a traumatic experience multiple times.

"Survivors shouldn't have to travel an hour or more for specialized care after experiencing something so traumatic," Komarek said. "Every additional hurdle can add to an already overwhelming experience. Our community deserves access to this level of care just as much as larger communities do."

The hospital's SANE program serves adults and adolescents ages 13 and older. Services include medical examinations, injury assessment, pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention, forensic evidence collection when requested, emotional support and connections to community resources.

An equally important part of the nurses' training is understanding how trauma affects people differently.

"Unfortunately, people without trauma training may expect someone to act a certain way to be believable or 'convincing.' That is simply not how trauma works," Komarek said. "We are not here to judge whether someone is traumatized enough. We believe you. You can react however you react, without shame or apology."

That understanding shapes the team's approach to patient care, where restoring a sense of control is just as important as providing medical treatment.

"We can't change what happened, but we can make sure they feel heard, believed, safe, and never judged," Komarek said. "Sometimes it's medical care, sometimes it's just listening. It's about giving them a safe space and letting them know they are in control."

Patients can choose which portions of an examination they are comfortable with, decline evidence collection or stop an examination at any time. They can also receive medical treatment without undergoing a forensic examination.

For eligible patients who are not ready to involve law enforcement, evidence may be collected through Kansas' non-reported evidence kit process. These kits are submitted to the KBI and held there securely until the patient is ready.

"You don't have to know what to do next. That's what we're here for," Komarek said. "Call us or come see us. We will walk you through your options, answer your questions, and support whatever decisions you make. You are in control every step of the way."

The hospital also partners with the Family Crisis Center in Great Bend, which provides survivor bags containing clothing and personal care items. The supplies help meet practical needs during an already difficult experience.

SANE services are provided at no cost to patients, another detail Komarek hopes more people understand.

During Forensic Nursing Week, the team hopes to raise awareness of the program and encourage conversations about sexual assault care and available resources.

The nurses welcome questions from community members and organizations and are happy to explain the program or provide tours of their space.

"We care deeply about this program, our patients, and making sure our community has access to the care they deserve," she said. "If we can make even one person's experience a little less overwhelming and a little more healing, then all the work we've put into this program is worth it.”

For more information about the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program at Ellinwood Hospital & Clinic, visit www.ellinwooddistricthospital.org/sane or call 620-564-2548. The hospital is located at 300 N. Park Ave. in Ellinwood.