AUGUSTA — Julie LeBlanc, RN, ME-SAFE-A, ME-SAFE-P, SANE-A, and Regional Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner (SAFE) Program coordinator, has been awarded this year’s Maine SAFE Award by the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA). LeBlanc, who also won the award in 2021, was honored at a ceremony at the University of Maine at Augusta on Thursday, April 17. 

The award is presented each year by MECASA to a SAFE nurse or SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) in Maine who has made a significant contribution to the work statewide and who has demonstrated exceptional care for victims/survivors in their communities. 

LeBlanc was recognized for her many years of work supporting survivors, for strengthening and promoting Maine’s SAFE program through her work on the SAFE advisory board, for her leadership of the SAFE program at MaineHealth Lincoln, Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals, and for providing sexual assault and strangulation education and training to healthcare workers and community partners. 

“I was pleasantly surprised, and thrilled, to find out that I had been chosen as this year’s SAFE awardee,” said LeBlanc, in a MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals news release . “There are many fabulous forensic nurses that provide this care around the state so it’s a great honor to be recognized for the work being done in our program.” 

The award is given out each April to highlight Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the work of SAFE nurses around the state. MaineHealth Lincoln, Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals have the only regional SAFE nurse program in Maine, with 15 care team members ready to provide safe, compassionate and non-judgmental care during a traumatic period. 

“These nurses help survivors toward emotional and psychological healing by restoring a patient’s sense of control over their lives,” said LeBlanc. 

Each patient’s needs are unique after experiencing sexual or interpersonal violence. SAFE nurses perform medical forensic exams after this type of violence, which are guided by the individual patient’s wants and needs. The SAFE nurse collaborates with the provider to treat injuries and offer testing or preventative treatment for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.     

Medical forensic exams can include evidence collection that may be used later in the criminal justice process. Maine Sex Crimes Evidence Collection Kits, sometimes known as Rape Kits, can be submitted anonymously and stored for up to twenty years in Maine. This allows survivors to have potential evidence collected after an assault without having to decide at that moment, whether or not they want to report to law enforcement. 

“Our goal is to improve outcomes for victims and survivors,” said LeBlanc. “We recommend survivors come to the hospital for an exam, whether or not they want evidence collection. We offer trauma informed care, a comprehensive assessment, and safety planning in collaboration with our incredible community sexual assault advocates.” 

Since LeBlanc took over the Regional SAFE Program in 2022, the number of SAFE nurses between the three hospitals has grown from six to 15, with the majority also trained to care for pediatric patients. This, in turn, has led to almost double the number of patients cared for in that same timeframe. 

“Our program is in a very good place right now,” said LeBlanc. “I have provided training to the emergency department nurses which has resulted in enhanced awareness of sexual assault and interpersonal violence and better screenings. This, in turn, has led to increased opportunities for SAFEs to care for patients that don’t disclose abuse during their initial conversations with Emergency Department staff.” 

The next step for the program is to be able to provide 24/7 care to the communities, a goal that will be reached when two more nurses join the team. 

“When I worked in the ED before my I took this role, I could see the gaps in care,” said LeBlanc. “To be able to provide round-the-clock care is a dream that is within reach. We’re all in this together as part of coordinated community response.” 

Locally, sexual assault support services are offered with free, 24-hour Helplines and resources including:

• Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine (SASSMM) at 1-800-871-7741
• New Hope Midcoast (formerly New Hope for Women) at 1-800-522-3304
• Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network 1-888-373-7888 

For questions about the SAFE program contact Julie.Leblanc@MaineHealth.org. 

MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville and St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.