Medical Examinations

Dove House has a fully equipped, child-friendly medical examination room that is voluntarily staffed by a pediatrician who is certified in pediatric sexual assault and two SANE nurses (sexual assault nurse examiner), both who work in the Iredell Memorial Hospital ER Department.  We are so grateful for our partnership with Iredell Memorial Hospital because they allow their two SANE nurses to respond to Dove House cases while on duty at the hospital.  Both SANE nurses, as well as our dedicated pediatrician, also volunteer much of their personal time working with Dove House clients.  Medical examinations of our child clients include a full wellness exam, testing for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) when appropriate, and specific exam techniques for alleged sexual assault.  Our exam room is fully equipped with all the latest technology for efficient and effective collection of physical and photographic forensic evidence.  Our medical personnel use a high-powered camera called a MedScope that magnifies objects up to thirty times their actual size, making physical findings easier to see for their trained eyes.  The MedScope provides video and color prints of the examination, which can be critically important evidence for the court process.  Both our volunteer pediatric physician and SANE nurses are available to testify in court when necessary.  What an incredible blessing it is to be able to treat children in our child-friendly "Under the Sea" medical exam room rather than having to send them to a clinical (hospital) environment!