Hines VA wins award for efforts to prevent sexual assault and harassment
PRESS RELEASE
December 20, 2022
Hines , IL — Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital received top honors in the Department of Veterans Affairs 2022 White Ribbon VA Challenge for its ongoing efforts to prevent sexual harassment and assault.
The White Ribbon VA Challenge is named for The White Ribbon Pledge, an awareness movement and commitment to “never commit, excuse or stay silent about sexual harassment, sexual assault or domestic violence against others.”
Hines VA received top honors for its new Culture Change multi-disciplinary workgroup, which provides education, positive culture efforts, and awareness initiatives to staff and patients. Hines also displayed 500 purple and white flags in the shape of an awareness ribbon to educate facility visitors.
Initiatives by the committee included education campaigns about sexual violence, gender discrimination and women-focused healthcare needs. The committee also offered additional education opportunities for staff and community members, and hosted awareness events. During pandemic restrictions, Hines offered virtual events to continue anti-assault and harassment programs.
“Sexual assault and harassment is a serious health problem that touches the lives of millions of Americans regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or orientation,” said Erin Hanrahan, Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program Coordinator at Hines. “It’s an amazing honor to be recognized for the work we’re doing to end this problem, but our work is just beginning.”
A 2016 VA study of Post-9/11 Veterans found that 41.5% of women and 4% of men reported experiencing military sexual trauma (MST) while serving. Forty-one percent of women and 3.9% of men reported experiencing sexual harassment while serving in the military.
More than 1,700 Veterans received care for military sexual trauma at Hines VA in 2022. All VA medical facilities offer free counseling and treatment to Veterans for conditions related to military sexual trauma.
Approximately 170 people have sought help from the Hines VA Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program in 2022.
Hines VA was one of three VA medical facilities to win top honors. Other VA facilities were Portland VA Medical Center, in Portland, Oregon; and John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, in Detroit.
About Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a 147-acre campus, offers primary, extended and specialty care to veteran patients in the Chicago area. We are the largest VA in the state of Illinois, where more than a million veterans reside. The hospital treats more than 44,000 veterans from World War II through the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.