SAN DIEGO -- A team of nationally recognized professionals from San Diego has been quietly assisting the Navajo Nation in its initiative to attack a silent crisis that has plagued Native Americans for years.

The rate of sexual assault among Native Americans has been reported to be as high as 3.5 times the national average according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report (American Indians and Crime: ). The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) from San Diego's Palomar Pomerado Health has been training and coordinating volunteers and health care professionals in the Shiprock, Arizona area and has helped establish a new SART center for members of the Navajo tribe.

SART centers provide services within 72 hours of a reported assault. A forensic nurse examiner is available immediately for forensic evidence collection. Counseling, as well as other crisis intervention assets, is also available for all victims. Confidentiality is a key element of SART and every effort is made to eliminate unnecessary and repetitive interviews.

Diana Faugno, one of the pioneers in the field, directs the SART effort. She has literally written the book on the subject of Sexual Assault Response, authoring acclaimed textbooks that serve as authoritative resources on the subject.

"The development of SART teams in the Navajo Nation is a tremendous step to confront the problems of sexual assault that have plagued this community for many years," commented Faugno. "The Navajo Nation's commitment to the SART program is a signal to their society that the status quo is completely unacceptable. Those who are sexually assaulted will no longer be alone and those who perpetuate this crime will no longer do so with impunity."

The SART program is continuing in Shiprock under Karen Cook, RN, NP, and will expand to other Navajo communities. For more information on the Navajo SART program, call Julie Taber, Palomar Pomerado Health public relations specialist, at or email her at .

Palomar Pomerado Health is the largest public hospital district in California, covering nearly 800 square miles in Inland North San Diego County. Palomar Pomerado includes the 319-bed Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, 107-bed Pomerado Hospital in Poway, two skilled nursing facilities, five health centers, a surgery center, home care program, physician referral service and wellness classes.

Source: Palomar Pomerado Health