Four Corners Child Advocacy Center hires first SANE to expand medical-forensic care

At the Four Corners Child Advocacy Center in Cortez, children who come through sexual‑assault investigations will soon have a dedicated medical‑forensic clinician on site after the center hired Natalia Lobato, RN, as its first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. The center announced the hire in a Facebook post on Feb. 6 that said, "For the first time in its history, the Four Corners Child Advocacy Center now has a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) on staff!"

Lobato started at the center in January and has completed 64 hours of online didactic training and two days of skill‑lab instruction; her final requirement is three 12‑hour hands‑on shifts at a 24‑hour SANE unit in Colorado Springs before she is cleared to begin independent SANE duties. CAC Director Lacey Osterloh said, "It was really hard to find someone with the time and ability to do this kind of work," underscoring the staffing gap the center aims to close.

The new SANE position is made possible through a partnership with UCHealth, which supplied exam equipment and personnel support, including Tammy Kuehl and Megan McCulley, who visited the center and taught a 2‑day Clinical Skills Lab for SANE providers from across the region. FCCAC described the partnership as enabling "comprehensive support through a specialized telehealth SANE system," and The Journal published a photo showing Lobato with UCHealth’s Kuehl and McCulley in the exam room with equipment provided by UCHealth (photo credit Bailey Duran/Special to The Journal).

Local investigative and victim support agencies joined FCCAC leadership to coordinate the new program. Over the week before the Feb. 6 announcement, Natalia Lobato and Lacey Osterloh met with UCHealth partners and leadership from the Cortez Police Department, Montezuma County Sheriffs, Montezuma County Department of Social Services, SASO, and the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office to "coordinate and strengthen this important program," the Facebook post said.

Demand for on‑site SANE services is clear: The Journal reports the center served more than 250 children last year from the surrounding region, including Farmington, with about 75 percent of cases classified as sexual assault and 25 percent involving other forms of abuse. The center’s intentional, child‑friendly design — colorful art, twinkle lights and rooms of stuffed animals where children can pick a toy to take home — frames the clinical work Lobato will join.

The Facebook announcement drew a strong local response, registering 317 reactions, 41 comments and 11 shares. Lobato commented on the post, "Thank you all! None of this wouldn’t be possible without the amazing staff and leadership. Our community is so fortunate to have the Advocacy Center and the collaborating agencies." Other commenters included Shannon Maley Prendergast, who wrote, "Congratulations!! This was years in the making since I was on the board! So important and way to make it happen!" and Kristin Leigh, who wrote, "No freaking way! Thats amazing!!!!"

FCCAC’s post framed the hire as an advancement for regional care: "This is a significant step forward in ensuring children in our region receive compassionate, trauma informed medical care as part of the investigative process." Lobato is on staff and will provide education, reassurance and answers to children and caregivers and will conduct SANE exams when needed, while completing her final hands‑on training requirement in Colorado Springs.