Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – After many years of work, Inova Loudoun is preparing to open the Charles B. and Betty G. Ewing Forensic Assessment and Consultation Team Department in Leesburg to offer medical evaluations, forensic evidence collection and medical and emotional support for victims of sexual assault or domestic abuse. Now victims in Loudoun County need to travel to Fairfax to access these services.
Depending on traffic, the drive from Loudoun County to the center in Fairfax usually takes at least 45 minutes, according to Mary Hale, the director of the Inova Ewing FACT Department.
“Having to drive down to Fairfax and again pay tolls on top of it many times just creates just one additional barrier, that it’s really hard sometimes for people to overcome,” Hale said.
Hale said the drive is especially difficult for people who are struggling after a traumatic experience. Last year, Hale said a parent was bringing a kid to the Fairfax office for an exam and got into a fender bender on the way.
The new office, which will have people on call 24/7, will make it easier for victims from Loudoun County to get the services they need, according to Hale.
The opening of the new center comes at a time when the number of victims seeking services in Fairfax and Loudoun counties is on the rise. In 2017, the Fairfax facility saw 880 patients, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. Of those patient, 96 were from Loudoun County.
The new center is expected to open in late May. It will be located on Cornwall Street, NW in downtown Leesburg.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Inova.org)
