IU Health Hospital expands Center of Hope to Frankfort and White Memorial

Of abuse.

The hospital is expanding its center of hope services to frankfort and monticello.

News 18's micah upshaw joins us in the studio this morning to explain how this program works.

Micah?

This program is designed to serve victims of sexual and physical abuse.

This expansion will cut down on travel and treatment time for patients in these smaller communities.

According to the cdc, nationwide one in four women and one in nine men will be a victim of domestic violence.

And those numbers only increase for victims of sexual violence and child abuse.

The center of hope provides high quality forensic testing and specialized equipment.

It also provides a team of nurses who are specially trained to comfort and communicate with these victims. this service helps victims in the case they choose to pursue legal action against the crime they faced.

The center of hope coordinator says the goal is to be a free support system for patients.

We're a center point for the whole process for a victim of crime.

We collaborate with advocacy, law enforcement, medical, as much as they want to have those people involved we all come together.

From january 2019 to december of last year -- a total of 145 victims were served at the iu health arnett location here in lafayette.

This service includes a highly secured room for patients.

As well as security guards monitoring the area.

And patients can seek as little or as much help from the service as they need.

The hospital does not force or require patients to make ay decisions.

Reporting in studio, micah upshaw.

News 18.