News

Advocate for sexual assault victims honored as Teammate of the Month

Chasity Wehunt

By Lightning Reports, Published: April 11, 2024

Chasity Wehunt, a sexual assault nurse examiner who works in Pardee Hospital’s Psychiatric and Addictions Therapeutic Healing Services (PATHS) program, as its Teammate of the Month, UNC Health Pardee announced.

In her role, Wehunt works as a registered nurse on the PATHS unit providing care to those who need mental health or addiction services.

Wehunt has been a registered nurse with Pardee since 2005. In 2016, she completed specialized education and clinical preparation to become a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) nurse and provide comprehensive care to sexual assault victims.

“I decided to become a SANE nurse after seeing so many patients experience sexual trauma and I felt they needed an advocate,” Wehunt said. A SANE nurse specializes in the collection and preservation of evidence related to crimes of interpersonal violence.

“My role as a SANE nurse embodies a broad framework from the nursing process to human rights of victims,” Wehunt said. “I am the voice of my patient to make sure they are heard.”

Her colleagues describe her as compassionate and committed to advocating for her patients, sharing that “her commitment to justice and compassion goes beyond the boundaries of her primary role as a psychiatric nurse.”

The Teammate of the Month award is given to a Pardee employee who positively contributes to achieving the organization’s mission, vision and goals. This person is selected by a committee of their peers and recognized for going above and beyond their regular duties to support patients, customers, peers, the organization and its community. The Teammate of the Month award showcases the many different roles of keeping a health system, like Pardee, operating and delivering patient-centered, quality care.