In 2023, more than 1,400 individuals who presented at Milwaukee-based health system emergency departments and inpatient settings were identified as people impacted by sexual or domestic violence. In multiple triennial community health needs assessments, violence has been identified as a top community health issue in Milwaukee County.

To increase access to support and advocacy services for people experiencing sexual and domestic violence, the health system members of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP) - Aurora Health Care, Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, and Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Inc. - developed and launched the Shared Healing Advocate Initiative.

Healing Advocates assist survivors after they have been screened and counseled by a Forensic Nurse Examiner (FNE) in completing required reporting, developing a safety plan, connecting to community resources, and exploring long-term support. Through the initiative, MHCP members created a shared Healing Advocate position to respond to referrals across all four Milwaukee-based health systems with the hope to demonstrate improved outcomes and spread this service to other health care organizations. Employed within Aurora Health Care’s Healing and Advocacy Services department, the shared position leverages the leadership, expertise, and current health systems’ FNE infrastructure– while building capacity and consistency of care among all systems.

To date, the shared Healing Advocate has served 100+ survivors in five different hospitals across the four Milwaukee health systems. Prioritizing individuals of high need, 72% of the survivors served were Black/African American, 31% were displaced or homeless, 93% were Medicaid recipients, and 83% were unemployed.  

“We are uniquely positioned as health care providers to both deliver care and ensure our patients have the continued support to end any cycles of violence they have experienced – and build a full life,” said Sharain Anderson, Enterprise Associate Vice President of Social Health, Aurora Health Care. “Ensuring patients have this resource through the shared Healing Advocate no matter where they seek care is important at an individual and community level.”