When sexual assault victims seek medical help in Southern Nevada, until recently, they were routinely referred to UMC. For the last couple decades, the UMC forensic nurse who examined those victims was Jeri Dermanelian.
Dermanelian died in April, and her passing has been a blow to the sexual assault victim support community. She had not only been willing to do the emotionally and mentally taxing work at all hours. But also, her colleagues say, she did it with compassion, regardless of a patient’s background and circumstances.
And, Dermanelian was skilled in creating and preserving so-called “rape kits,” the evidence packages that prosecutors use to help build their cases against sexual assault perpetrators.
People in the sexual assault victims support community say filling Dermanelian's shoes won't be easy.
"She always put the victim first, and we appreciated it," said Kim Small, CEO of Signs of Hope, formerly called the Rape Crisis Center. "And I've talked with Metro [the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department], and they always said, 'You know, when we put Jeri on the stand, we knew we'd have a conviction,' because she was so thorough and so evidence-based in making sure that every inch of the forensic exam was executed properly and thoroughly, so that there could be a conviction."
Small confirmed news first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, that Nevada HealthRight clinic will continue to provide the sexual assault nurse examiner ("SANE") services previously provided by Dermanelian at UMC. Small said Signs of Hope had already been working with Nevada HealthRight for several years and, in her understanding, they have recently trained additional nurses to help fill the void. Small added that she has not heard from UMC leadership how or when they will replace Dermanelian.
UMC was not available to speak with KNPR for this segment. Nevada HealthRight's clinical director Rachell Ekroos provided the following statement:
"Jeri will be missed by many, and the legacy of Rose Heart [her company] extends across three decades of dedicated nurses. Sadly, many news segments inaccurately refer to Jeri as the only SANE in Las Vegas. ... Is the community ready for a conversation about the barriers to expanding the NVHR forensic nurse team?"
Small said that, even considering Nevada HealthRight's availability and willingness to step in, Southern Nevada's sexual violence victims need much more help. Signs of Hope takes an average of around 300 calls per month on its crisis line, and there are fewer than half a dozen SANE nurses trained to examine these patients.
"You know, there is a growing population of folks here in Nevada," Small said. "And as our medical community is struggling to keep up, this is part of the struggle as well. ... In terms of SANE nurses, I would love to see one at every hospital, at least, [preferably] two."
If you, or someone you know, is a victim of sexual violence, call the crisis hotline at 702-366-1640. For more information about Signs of Hope's programs, visit sohlv.org.
NOTE: This story was updated May 27th to include information provided by Nevada HealthRight subsequent to the original broadcast.
Guests: Kim Small, CEO, Signs of Hope
