Cong. Cuellar Announces TAMIU SANE Continuation Grant of $1.4M to College of Nursing and Health Sciences

In ceremonies Friday, Aug. 9, 2024 at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Congressman Henry Cuellar announced the awarding of a grant sustaining the critical Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program through funding of $1,473,960 from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA).

“The SANE grant will train registered nurses to become sexual assault nurse examiners. I would like to thank TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz and TAMIU educators for working with me to deliver for our students,” Congressman Cuellar said at a press event held in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library Colonnade. 

TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz concurred and said funding of this program underscores the University’s mission of service.

“We are grateful to Congressman Cuellar for once again helping us to secure this competitive grant which underscores and expand upon our University’s cherished mission of service.  In the greatest of research traditions, our TAMIU SANE III continuation identified a critical community need and developed programming and resources to address that need, and is elevating our community’s and region’s response capability,” Dr. Arenaz observed.  

About TAMIU SANE III

TAMIU’s SANE III funding is a competitive continuation grant from HRSA providing a three-year project focused on advanced nurse education through the SANE program delivered by TAMIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing.  Principal investigator for the project is Robert Moran, TAMIU clinical assistant professor of Nursing, and managed by Rosario Benavides.

Initially funded in 2018, this TAMIU SANE III continuation award increases the capacity of SANEs to address the needs of sexual assault victims in a medically underserved region -- the U.S.-México border. Prior to TAMIU SANE, local victims of violent sex crimes were transferred to neighboring facilities as much as 160 miles away as enough SANEs were not available locally.

Dr. Marivic Torregosa, TAMIU Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, explained what the HRSA funding will make possible. 

“This funding makes it possible to provide medical forensic examinations right here in our community,” Dr. Torregosa said, “Additional help from this program includes medical forensic examination equipment and increased support for SANE services.”

Program director Moran said that the TAMIU SANE III grant is targeting a record number of nurses to be a part of the continuation grant’s new and renewal training. 

“We will train 54 registered nurses throughout this three-year project with 18 to be certified as SANE for pediatric populations; 18 to be certified as SANE for adult and adolescent populations, and for 18 current SANES to renew their certification.  In addition, we’ll expand existing and create new partnerships for clinical placements, preceptorship, training, and education opportunities and mentor SANE trainees through a peer-group support network,” Moran noted. 

The TAMIU SANE III Program (Award # 2T96HP32498-07) is among 28 grantees to receive funding to increase the supply, distribution, and quality of the SANE Workforce.

To be eligible, a TAMIU-SANE nurse trainee must:

• Be a Registered Nurse (RN) and have an unencumbered Texas RN license for three years.
• During the past three years, completed at least two years of active, direct patient care nursing experience as a generalist RN, advanced practice registered nurse, or forensic nurse.
• Have two years of direct experience in the Emergency Room, Forensics, Pediatric, NICU, Labor & Delivery. ICU or medical-surgical nursing.
• Be a U.S. citizen or non-citizen national lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the U.S. or Qualified Alien under Section 431 (b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. 

For more information on enrolling in the TAMIU-SANE Program, reach out to TAMIU-SANE program manager  Benavides at maria.benavides@tamiu.edu, call 956.326.2575, or click on http://go.tamiu.edu.sane.

Fall Semester Just Ahead at TAMIU

The first day of classes for the Fall 2024 semester is Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. 

To further explore this Fall at TAMIU, visit the dedicated 2024 Fall TAMIU Preview website at https://go.tamiu.edu/fallpreview

To learn more about the University’s Registration processes for Fall, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration.  

To transfer to TAMIU, contact the Office of Recruitment and School Relations at enroll@tamiu.edu, phone 956.326.2270, or click on https://www.tamiu.edu/prospect/transfer.shtml

TAMIU summer hours ended Aug. 9.  Regular office hours resume Monday, Aug. 12.

More of the University’s story is available across the University's social channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.  

University news can also be found on its dedicated NewsHub.

Partners and Faculty members in the continuation grant of the TAMIU SANE Program celebrate the announcement of the  $1.4 million grant by Congressman Henry Cuellar.