Iowa AG Suggests New Certification Standards for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners
On Aug. 28, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird submitted a notice of intended action for a second draft of proposed changes to administrative rules governing sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) certification requirements. The proposed changes are designed to align Iowa’s rules with national standards. Notably, the proposed changes:
Clarify the eligibility requirements for examiners
Create flexibilities for completing coursework
Explicitly say that doctors of medicine or doctors of osteopathic medicine, advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants who meet or exceed the examiner requirements are qualified to conduct an examination
Revise provider and facility fee payments based on whether a qualified provider conducts the examination
Say providers at accredited certified child protection centers whose initial and ongoing training was approved by the National Children’s Alliance or equivalent accrediting body at the time the centers were accredited qualify for reimbursement at the same levels as those who meet or exceed the examiner requirements
Set a minimum number of hours of intended direct care and education for certification
IHA collaborated with members to provide comments after the attorney general released an initial draft of the proposed changes. IHA thanks the attorney general for accepting most of the suggestions outlined in our comment letter.
“Having a strong workforce of qualified providers to conduct sexual assault exams is critical to ensuring Iowa victims have access to the care they need and deserve. It’s also critical to protect against making the SANE requirements so onerous that nurses may forego certification,” IHA’s Chief Legal Officer Abhay Nadipuram said. “IHA appreciates being part of the conversation to help increase the number of sexual assault nurse examiners throughout the state.”
The next round of comments ends at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8. Members with questions, concerns and comments are encouraged to email Kelly or Nadipuram no later than Tuesday, Oct. 1.