WDSU NEWS HOT SEAT. I’M TRAVERS MACKEL GILL. WE ARE JOINED IN STUDIO BY JEFFERSON PARISH CORONER DOCTOR JERRY STANAVICH. AND HE’S TALKING ABOUT A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THAT HAPPENED JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. ABOUT A WEEK AGO, YOUR OFFICE TAKING OVER THE SAINT, THE SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER PROGRAM IN SAINT TAMMANY. WE WANT TO DIVE DEEP INTO THIS BECAUSE PEOPLE READ THE HEADLINES, THEY SEE SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER PROGRAM. IT’S MADE A LOT OF HEADLINES HERE. FIRST OFF, WHY IS YOUR OFFICE IN JEFFERSON TAKING OVER THIS PROGRAM IN SAINT TAMMANY? WELL, OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LOT OF PUBLICITY. UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE NEW CORONER CAME IN AND CANCELED THE PROGRAM AND DESIGNATED THE HOSPITALS TO DO THE EXAM INSTEAD OF THE SANE NURSES? UH, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE CORONER’S ASSOCIATION. I WAS CONTACTED BY NUMEROUS LEGISLATORS AND OTHER PEOPLE SAYING, YOU KNOW, DO YOU GUYS HAVE A WAY TO TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THIS CONTINUE TO. AND THE ANSWER WAS NO. AND SO THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE TEAM THAT I WORK WITH, WE STARTED THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX AND SEEING IF THERE WAS A WAY THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WORKED WELL FOR EVERYBODY. AND YOU CAME UP WITH THAT SOLUTION. IT WAS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? WHY, WHY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HELP SAINT TAMMANY? WELL, IT’S IT’S NOT JUST SAINT TAMMANY BY THE WAY. IT’S REGION NINE. SO IT WILL BE SAINT TAMMANY. OKAY. BUT THEY WERE ALSO THROUGH THEIR, UM, REGIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT PLAN. THEY WERE ALSO DESIGNATED TO PERFORM THE EXAMS FOR WASHINGTON AND PARISH HELENA, SAINT HELENA PARISH, TANGIPAHOA AND LIVINGSTON PARISH. SO IT WAS ALL OF THOSE PARISHES INVOLVED. SO REGION NINE, BECAUSE WE BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THIS DURING COVID. REGION NINE IS THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REGION. IT’S BASICALLY THE NORTH SHORE. WE ARE IN REGION ONE HERE. JEFFERSON ORLEANS IN SAINT BERNARD, WHICH IS A MUCH BIGGER FOOTPRINT POINT. UM, SO YOU ALL ARE HELPING THEM. HOW IS THAT GOING TO LOOK? HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK WHEN YOU I THINK IT STARTS WHAT LATER THIS MONTH ON MAY 20TH. HOW DOES THAT LOOK WHEN YOUR OFFICE TAKES OVER THE SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER TESTING. WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ON CALL 24 OVER SEVEN 365. SO, UM, AND THAT IS AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSAL. WAS IT EXPENSIVE FOR SAINT TAMMANY? DOCTOR TATE WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID THAT THEY WERE IT WAS TAKING A LOT OF RESOURCES. THE SAME THING HAPPENS IN MY PARISH AND IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE BRAINSTORMED AND IN MY OFFICE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SOLVE A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS. WE CAN DECREASE OUR EXPENSES FOR PROVIDING THIS SERVICE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE QUALITY. AND WE CAN CONTINUE THE SERVICES ON THE ON THE NORTH SHORE. SO IT’S REALLY A WIN WIN FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYBODY. SO DOES DO IF SOMEBODY HAS AN ISSUE LIKE THIS, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT A SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER DOES. BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE THE HEADLINE, BUT THEY DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS. IT’S KIND OF SELF-EXPLANATORY. BUT IF YOU CAN WALK US THROUGH BECAUSE WE DO HAVE MORE TIME IN THIS FORMAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS A SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAM? RIGHT. SO, UM, WHEN SOMEBODY IS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED, THEY NEED A RAPE EXAM. THE RAPE EXAM IS VERY DETAILED, OKAY? IT CAN BE DONE BY AN EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN OR AN OB GYN SPECIALIST, OR WHAT’S CALLED A SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER, WHICH IS A REGISTERED NURSE WHO WILL GO THROUGH EXTENSIVE TRAINING TO LEARN HOW TO NOT ONLY INTERVIEW YOU, THE VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, BUT ALSO DO THE EXAMINATION AND EVIDENCE COLLECTION. AND AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BE PREPARED TO BE A ADVOCATE AT TRIAL IF THERE IS ONE. WILL YOU USE YOUR WILL YOU USE NURSES FROM JEFFERSON OR DO YOU TRY TO KEEP NURSES IN SAINT TAMMANY? I HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST QUESTIONS ON HOW THIS IS GOING TO LOOK AND WORK, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S NEW, OBVIOUSLY. SO DO YOU USE YOUR NURSES THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE ON STAFF, OR DO YOU TRY TO KEEP ONES THAT ARE WORKING IN SAINT TAMMANY, OR HOW DOES THAT LOOK? BOTH. OKAY, OKAY. YOU KNOW, WE’RE LOOKING YOU KNOW, WE’VE ACTUALLY HIRED THE TWO FULL TIME NURSES THAT THAT SAINT TAMMANY HAD AND AND WERE, YOU KNOW, WE’RE GOING TO REACH OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED PART TIME THERE ALSO WITH US. AND WE’RE GOING AND IT MIGHT BE SOMEBODY WHO DOESN’T WANT TO COVER A BIGGER AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT IT IS. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE’RE CONFIDENT THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO COVER IT. AND WHEN WE WHEN WHEN WE COMBINE THE VOLUME OF ASSAULTS IN REGION NINE WITH OUR ASSAULTS, WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COVER IT. TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS, BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN THE CORONER IN JEFFERSON PARISH FOR A LONG TIME. AND BEFORE WE STARTED ROLLING, YOU TOLD ME SOMETHING INTERESTING, WHICH I THINK PEOPLE HERE SHOULD HEAR. YOUR PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL, BUT IT WAS ORIGINALLY MODELED AFTER SAINT TAMMANY’S ORIGINAL. IS THAT IS THAT. WELL, YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE DESIGNATED TULANE LAKESIDE UNTIL 2017 AS OUR DESIGNATED HOSPITAL. BUT THE NATIONAL TREND HAS HUGELY BEEN TO GO TO SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINERS. JUST JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY DO A LOT OF THESE EXAMS, THEY GET GOOD AT IT AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE CHAIN OF CUSTODY. THAT’S NEEDED AND EVERYTHING INVOLVED AND ALL THE PARTS AND OF THE PROCESS. SO WE WENT TO DOCTOR CHUCK PRESTON AND HIS LEAD NURSE EXAMINER, JANICE, I’M FORGETTING HER LAST NAME. THAT’S OKAY. BUT WE WENT TO THEM WHEN WE DECIDED TO TO TO MAKE THE SWITCH, AND THEY GUIDED US THROUGH SETTING UP A GREAT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, IN JP. SO ESSENTIALLY Y’ALL USE THEM AND NOW YOU’RE HELPING SAINT TAMMANY. NOW THINGS HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE HERE WHERE YOU’RE HELPING SAINT TAMMANY WITH THEIR NOW. EXACTLY. IT’S FUNNY HOW THAT WORKS OUT, BUT IT’S TRUE. UM, IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, IT’S A DELICATE SITUATION BECAUSE SOMEONE WHO WAS GOING THROUGH A TEST LIKE THIS IS PROBABLY DEALING WITH ONE OF THE WORST EXPERIENCES IN THEIR LIVES. SO I KNOW IT’S SOMETHING THAT THE NURSES WHO WERE TRAINED WITH THIS AND THEY HAVE TO BE PROPERLY TRAINED, ARE DEALING WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS DEALING WITH A TRAUMATIC, HEARTBREAKING, POSSIBLE CRIMINAL SITUATION IN THEIR LIFE. IS THERE A SKILL SET WITH THIS THAT YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY AND LOOK FOR, WITH THE PEOPLE YOU HIRE AND TRAIN? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING AND GETTING THIS TYPE OF EXAM ARE PROBABLY DEALING WITH WHAT COULD BE THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF THEIR LIFE. SURE. COMPASSION AND PROFESSIONALISM. THAT’S WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO EXHIBIT WHEN YOU’RE, YOU KNOW, HELPING VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. HOW LONG DO Y’ALL PLAN TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS? I MEAN, THE NEWS BROKE LAST WEEK THAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO TAKE OVER THESE SAINT EXAMS IN SAINT TAMMANY. IS THIS PERMON IT? IS THERE A CEILING THAT YOU HOPE TO HIT? AND THEN MAYBE THEY GET BACK ON THEIR FEET IN SAINT TAMMANY? I MEAN, LOOK, NOT GETTING INTO THE POLITICS. THERE IS A RECALL EFFORT UNDERWAY FOR DOCTOR CHRISTOPHER TAPE. UH, IT’S BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED. WE’LL SEE IF IT’S SUCCESSFUL OR NOT. THEY HAVE UNTIL THE FALL. BUT IS THERE IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON HOW LONG YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS? NO. LOOK, THIS IS POOLING RESOURCES AND SHARING EXPENSES WHILE STILL PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF CARE. I WOULD ANTICIPATE. I MEAN, LOOK, I MEAN, I DON’T WANT TO GET INTO THE POLITICS OF WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE, BUT WHOEVER IS THE CORONER IN IN SAINT TAMMANY AS WELL AS THE REST OF REGION NINE, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A GREAT SOLUTION THAT WORKS GOING FORWARD. REGARDLESS OF WHO SITS IN THEIR CORNERS, OFFICE OR IN MY POSITION. IS IT IS IT THE FUNDING? WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, IS IT SAINT TAMMANY JEFFERSON STATE FUNDING? I MEAN, HOW DO YOU ALL COME UP TO WORK ON A FUNDING MODEL FOR THIS? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DOCTOR CHRISTOPHER TAPE DID MENTION, HEY, LOOK, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL WE CAN FUND, BUT YOU HAVE STEPPED UP. I MEAN, WHAT IS THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR YOU? GET FUNDING FOR THIS THROUGH THE YOUR TAX MILLAGE ALSO THROUGH GRANTS BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE AND THEN THROUGH WHAT’S CALLED CRIME VICTIM REPARATIONS FUND. SO THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE. BUT THE FUNDING FALLS SHORT. BOTH YOU KNOW, IN SAINT TAMMANY AND ALSO IN JEFFERSON, THE FUNDING FALLS SHORT. SO IF WE CAN COMBINE RESOURCES, IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND LOOK? WE’VE DONE STORIES IN THE PAST, AND WE’VE USED YOU IN SOME OF THESE STORIES AS WELL, WHERE SOMETIMES YOU’RE THE HEAD OF THE CORONER’S ASSOCIATION. ARE YOU TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY IN LINE WHERE YOU CAN WORK TOGETHER AS AN ASSOCIATION, AS ONE UNIFIED GROUP, INSTEAD OF WORKING AS ESSENTIALLY 64 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME. AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK, THE CORONERS IN LOUISIANA ARE A STATE SUBDIVISION, YOU KNOW, YET IT’S A AN UNFUNDED MANDATE ON PARISHES. AND EVERY PARISH HAS A DIFFERENT SITUATION IN AND IT’S NOT A HEALTHY SITUATION. IT MAKES IT TO WHERE NOW I THINK 16 PARISHES HAVE NON-PHYSICIAN CORONERS BECAUSE CORONERS BECAUSE PHYSICIANS AREN’T INTERESTED IN BEING CORONER BECAUSE IT’S SO DIFFICULT TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSE. ABILITY FOR NO COMPENSATION IN SOME CASES, AND JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE PEOPLE HEAR THAT AND GO, WAIT, THE CORONER OF MY PARISH ISN’T A DOCTOR. IF A DOCTOR DOESN’T QUALIFY, THEN OPENS THE DOOR FOR A LAYPERSON TO RUN FOR CORONER. IS THAT CORRECT? EXACTLY, EXACTLY. AND YOU KNOW THIS NOW WITH THE 16 NON-PHYSICIAN CORONERS IS THE MOST, WELL, MOST IN MODERN HISTORY. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, BUT WE’VE NEVER HAD THIS MANY SINCE. I’VE BEEN CORONER. WHY IS THAT? I DON’T WANT TO GET ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC BECAUSE I WANT TO STICK TO THE SANE NURSES AND EXAMINERS THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT THAT IS VERY INTERESTING. IS IT BECAUSE PHYSICIANS JUST DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE POLITIC OF THE BUREAUCRACY? BECAUSE, LOOK, IF YOU ARE A DOCTOR, YOU’RE PROBABLY WORKING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR FOR YOURSELF, AND YOU’RE PROBABLY MAKING A VERY GOOD SALARY. UH, ACROSS AMERICA AS WELL AS HERE IN LOUISIANA. IS IT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE JUST TURNED OFF BY, HEY, I DON’T WANT TO RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND DEAL WITH THIS? WELL, THERE IS A LOT OF POLITICS INVOLVED AND HASSLE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT CERTAINLY IS GOING TO COME. YOU KNOW, THE CALLS COME SOMETIMES AT THE MOST IN OPPORTUNE TIMES. AND A LOT OF PARISHES HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY, UM, COMING UP WITH FUNDING TO PAY A CORONER. SO IN SOME CASES THEIR FEE FOR SERVICE ONLY, WHICH IS, UM, DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO ACCEPT THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALMOST NO REIMBURSEMENT. AND FINAL QUESTION ON THIS TOPIC, BECAUSE I DON’T THINK PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THIS. VERY FEW CORONERS ACTUALLY DO AUTOPSIES. I WHEN I SAY THAT VERY FEW PARISHES, YOU’RE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES WITH NEW ORLEANS AND SAINT TAMMANY IN THIS REGION IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA. THEY ACTUALLY DOES THEM. A LOT OF CORONERS HAVE TO HAVE TO FARM IT OUT TO YOU AND ORLEANS AND SAINT TAMMANY. AM I CORRECT? RIGHT. BECAUSE IT’S EXPENSIVE TO HAVE A FUNCTIONING MORGUE WITH THE STAFF THAT YOU NEED FOR IT AND A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A SHORTAGE NATIONALLY OF FORENSIC PATHOLOGISTS. SO SO IT’S COST PROHIBITIVE FOR A SMALLER PARISH THAT MIGHT ONLY DO 20, 30 AUTOPSIES IN A CALENDAR YEAR TO HAVE ALL THOSE RESOURCES AND EXPENSES FOR THAT NUMBER OF AUTOPSIES. SO WHAT THEY’LL DO IS GO TO WHAT IS LIKE A REGIONAL FORENSIC CENTER, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE, AND WE PROVIDE SERVICES FOR, I THINK, 12, 13, 14 OTHER PARISHES. AND WE’LL DO THE AUTOPSY. AND WE CHARGE THEM A FAIR MARKET RATE SO THAT WE’RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBSIDIZING ANYBODY ELSE’S. NO. RIGHT. WE’VE DONE STORY A DECADE AGO, WE DID THIS WHEN A FORMER CORONER OF NEW ORLEANS WAS CHARGING, YOU KNOW, WELL BELOW MARKET VALUE. AND WE TALKED TO YOU. UM, LET’S JUST BRING THIS BACK FULL CIRCLE HERE. YOU GET BACK TO THE SANE NURSES BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS A WIN WIN FOR YOU, SAINT TAMMANY, AND NOT JUST THAT. THE PEOPLE, THE TAXPAYERS AND THE VICTIMS THAT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS. DO YOU FEEL THIS IS A WIN WIN RELATIONSHIP MOVING FORWARD? SURE IT IS. IT’S A WIN FOR EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, I CAN’T TELL YOU SO MANY MOVING PARTS. YOU KNOW YOU HAD FIVE CORONERS. YOU HAD MULTIPLE HOSPITALS THAT HAD TO GET ON BOARD. YOU KNOW, STAR PATIENT ADVOCATES HAD TO GET ON BOARD. AND EVERYBODY DID. EVERYBODY COOPERATED. SO IT TOOK SOME TIME. BUT IT WAS EASY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THANK EVERYBODY THAT THAT THAT HELPED US, YOU KNOW, GET TO THIS POINT. AND YOU MENTIONED THIS FINAL QUESTION. IT IS ABOUT THE VICTIMS HERE, AND IT IS ABOUT PATIENT CARE, AND IT IS ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR SAINT TAMMANY. WELL, FOR JEFFERSON AND SAINT TAMMANY, MY PRIORITY IS JEFFERSON FOR JEFFERSON, FOR SAINT TAMMANY AND FOR ALL THE OTHER PARISHES IN REGION NINE. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR JERRY SESTANOVICH, WE COULD PROBABLY FILL UP THE NEXT HALF HOUR TALKING TO YOU. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO HAVE TO WRAP THINGS UP. THAT IS THE TIME THAT WE HAVE FOR THE HOT SEAT. I’M TRAVERS MACKEL YOU CAN SEE THIS ENTIRE SEGMENT STARTING MOND