A Place of Safety

A young woman arrives at a Houston Methodist Emergency Department after a traumatic experience, uncertain where to turn for help and apprehensive about how she will be received. Her concerns begin to ease as she’s led to a private space where she can safely share her experience. A forensic nurse joins her care team, providing reassuring support and assessing her needs. During the evaluation, the nurse learns that she is a survivor of sexual assault.

Unfortunately, scenarios like this play out often across Houston, one of the nation’s most active regions for human trafficking. At the same time, local advocates estimate that fewer than 10% of survivors of any type of sexual assault report these crimes to law enforcement.

Indeed, survivors of assault often face significant barriers to care, including limited awareness of resources and a shortage of forensic nursing specialists. Navigating medical treatment, victim advocacy and legal systems can require survivors to relay their experiences multiple times, compounding feelings of fear and anxiety. Further, access to mental health services may be limited by extended clinician wait times and insurance barriers.

To address these challenges, Houston Methodist launched a dedicated forensic nursing program in 2014 to provide 24/7, survivor-centered care. Led by Director Andrea Cressy and Medical Director Dr. Jasmine B. Bookert, a team of full-time and on-call forensic nurses delivers trauma-informed treatment, comprehensive assessments and emotional support. In addition, these caregivers expertly document forensic evidence and align services across healthcare, advocacy and law enforcement partners — serving as a vital link to help ensure patients receive coordinated care while minimizing retraumatization.

Thanks to a 2026 estate gift from a generous philanthropic partner who had been supporting forensic nursing for several years, the program now also extends its impact beyond the bedside. Through community outreach and education, more professionals and community members will now recognize and respond effectively when survivors seek help. The support is set to help HoustonMethodist experts further advance the field by educating current practitioners and training future clinicians in best practices for survivor care. “The impact of this gift will extend far beyond a single patient encounter, creating lasting benefits for survivors, their families and the communities we serve for years to come,” says Cressy.

Philanthropy plays a critical role in expanding the program’s reach and impact. Such philanthropic support and legacy gifts enable program leadership to expand staff training and certification, enhance dedicated forensic examination spaces, and increase access to care for underserved communities.

Houston Methodist is helping set a new standard for survivor care, ensuring that every patient is treated with dignity, empathy and specialized support in moments of crisis. “It’s not something that is on everyone’s radar, but it’s one of the most important aspects of medicine in our current times,” notes Dr. Bookert. “These are the people who are forgotten, and we need to put them at the forefront of medicine.”