Franciscan Health Michigan City’s Center of Hope will further its mission to provide trauma care to survivors of abuse, thanks to a $10,000 grant from CAPTRUST Community Foundation.
Kelly Shikany, CAPTRUST vice president and financial advisor, presented the gift to Franciscan Health Michigan City, noting that the CAPTRUST office in Chesterton applied for the grant during the CAPTRUST Community Foundation’s second annual Day of Giving.
Franciscan Health Michigan City’s Center of Hope is a designated space where SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) nurses create a safe environment for victims of violence, sexual abuse and trauma. SANE nurses are also trained in collecting forensic evidence and working with local law enforcement agencies.
Lori Bridegroom, RN, SANE coordinator at Franciscan Health Michigan City, said, unfortunately, people don’t want to talk about the issues of abuse and trafficking because they’re so horrific. The work done in the Center of Hope requires specialized training and equipment, which the CAPTRUST grant will be used toward.
Bridegroom said the Center of Hope has nurses on call 24/7, where a trained nurse is always available to take care of a victim, so they don’t have to be transferred.
SANE nurses undergo intensive training in:
- Cultural sensitivity
- Trauma-informed, victim-centered care
- Injury identification
- Evidence preservation
- Forensic photography
- Forensic documentation
- Acute and long-term effects of sexual violence
- Courtroom and some expert testimony
The CAPTRUST Community Foundation is an employee-run 501(c)(3) with a mission to enrich the lives of others in local CAPTRUST communities. CAPTRUST’s Chesterton office is located at 3100 Village Point #200.
Learn more or to donate to the Franciscan Health Foundation to support the Centers of Hope, go online at or call (219) 661-3401 in Northern Indiana.