Family Crisis Center gets special exam equipment

The Rexburg Family Crisis Center used a state grant to help purchase a photo system designed to medically examine children who have been sexually abused.

The Crisis Center received a $9,900 grant from the Idaho Governor'sTask Force on Children at Risk to help purchase the Cortexflo photo system. It was installed Friday at Season's Medical, which is the second facility in the state to acquire the equipment, said a crisis center news release.

The $16,000 machine will allow sexual assault nurse examiners to take photos of injuries from sexual abuse for evidentiary purposes in criminal proceedings. The remaining cost of the machine will be paid through community donations, the release said.

The Crisis Center's main coverage area includes Clark, Fremont, Jefferson and Madison counties but it is extending the use of its machine to any law enforcement agency in eastern Idaho. The Cortexflo system is less invasive than traditional sexual assault examinations and has secure storage systems to protect victims of abuse. A manufacturer's pamphlet said the system is fitted with a digital SLR camera with a real-time touchscreen viewfinder attached. The device allows for photos to be encrypted and securely emailed to a third party.

The device is less invasive than a colposcope for internal examinations. Colposcopes are special, lighted magnifying instruments used to closely examine female patients.

Season's Medical Pediatrician Dr. Jason Hymas said in the release the device will allow for a higher level of care for children who are victims of abuse.

"Prior to this collaboration, these children have either had to travel great distances or have not received the level of care they deserved," Hymas said in the release.

Kimber Tower, Crisis Center forensic interviewer, said the examinations will be free.

"We do this as a service to the community and it will be better for kiddos so they can feel safer in an already traumatic experience," Tower said.

Of the 55 child forensic interviews conducted in 2016, only 10 children were able to access a medical exam, Tower said. Three of those patients traveled more than 100 miles to obtain an exam.

Madison County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Bart Quayle said in the release the new equipment will help authorities gather better evidence of sex crimes.

"Investigating child abuse is an unfortunate responsibility, but nonetheless, we take it very seriously," Quayle said in the release.

For information about child advocacy, or the Cortexflo system, contact Tower at the Family Crisis Center by calling 208-356-0065 or emailing Kimbert@familycrisiscenter.info.