Sexual assault is a traumatic experience, but sometimes, for survivors in San Miguel County, the process that follows can also feel traumatizing.
Thatâs because up to now there has only been one certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) â Telluride Medical Center ER nurse Betsy Muennich â in the entire county, according to San Miguel Resource Center Coordinated Community Response Coordinator Tammi Ragan.
âBetsy is amazing, but if she is working or unavailable, the survivor has to travel to Durango or Montrose, sometimes even to Grand Junction if the other hospitals are busy,â Ragan explained. âThese exams can last up to six hours. Asking someone to not change their clothes, to not wash, to not drink water â it can be a re-traumatizing thing for them.â