BARBARA LOPEZ-HEFFERNAN, NP, APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC EXAMINER PROGRAM IN NUMC’S EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2011
PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
BARBARA LOPEZ-HEFFERNAN, NP, APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC EXAMINER PROGRAM IN NUMC’S EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
STRONG COMMITMENT TO SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS, PROVIDING THEM WITH COMPETENT, COMPASSIONATE AND PROMPT CARE
East Meadow, NY… Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, announced the appointment of Barbara Lopez-Heffernan, NP, as the director of the Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) program in the emergency department of the Nassau University Medical Center.
The Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Hospital Program at NUMC has been certified by the Department of Health as a site of 24-hour sexual assault forensic examination services. This facility has offered proof of ability to provide trained examiners and services to meet all standards for provision of these specialized services to patients who have experienced rape or sexual abuse, including proper collection of forensic evidence, meeting all New York State criteria and current standards of practice. The program certification has been effective since May 16, 2008.
“I am pleased that Ms. Lopez-Heffernan has accepted the position as director of NUMC’s SAFE program where she will work very closely with the Nassau County Police Department, the District Attorney’s office and the Coalition against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, in ensuring that victims of sexual assault are served competently, discreetly, and with compassion,” said Gianelli. “Her extensive background and experience make her the right choice to further NUMC’s commitment to serving sexual assault victims and providing them needed services with compassionate care and in a prompt manner.”
Ms. Lopez-Heffernan has been a forensic nurse since 1993, at which time she sharpened her nursing skills for a decade in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From 2003 until 2010, she worked as a sexual assault nurse examiner at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. She obtained a masters degree from Molloy College in 2010, becoming a family nurse practitioner. Ms. Lopez-Heffernan is certified by the New York State Department of Health and by the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Born in Chile, Ms. Lopez-Heffernan is fluent in Spanish, an asset when dealing with NUMC’s large Hispanic patient population.
“I am delighted to serve as NUMC’s SAFE director, where I will be able to provide underserved populations the best of care and kindness during their crisis situation. We are positioned to make this program one of the best in the state. This is the most rewarding type of nursing that I have done during my almost twenty years of nursing and I look forward to working with state and local agencies to ensure that sexual assault victims are served well and feel free to come forward,” stated Ms. Lopez-Heffernan.
In this position, Ms. Lopez-Heffernan will have opportunities to testify in court cases where her forensic expertise will be called upon and where she will be required to document where the evidence came from, how it was collected, as well as describing any injuries that the patient may have presented with at the emergency department. Ms. Lopez-Heffernan resides in Nassau County.
ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life. Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community. By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.
For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.
