Michelle Ditton is the Chief Nursing Officer, Executive Director and one of the original founders of the SATC.
Michelle is the Chief Nursing Officer/Executive Director, and one of the founders of the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center which began operations in 1996. As a graduate of Purdue University, Michelle has been a RN for 41 years with clinical experience in the emergency room, neonatal intensive care unit, and pediatrics to name a few. The past 26 years of her nursing career have been in the field of forensic nursing. She received her adult and adolescent sexual assault didactic and clinical training at Pomerado Hospital in San Diego, California. In 2002, the IAFN offered the first adult/adolescent sexual assault nurse examiner certification examination, at which time Michelle obtained her board certification.
During 1998 thru 2000, Michelle received her pediatric sexual assault training with seven mini fellowships across the country with leaders in the field of sexual assault. She spent over 2,400 hours in advanced training. She used this knowledge to develop the pediatric sexual assault program from within the SATC. She helped establish the Dr. Bill Lewis Center for Children with fellow community leaders which opened its doors in June 2000. In 2007, the IAFN first offered the certification exam for pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners and Michelle obtained her board certification at that time.
Michelle has facilitated in the revisions of all policies concerning sexual assault for Parkview Health Systems and Lutheran Health Network, and the procedures currently implemented in all local hospitals. She serves on the guideline committee for the State of Indiana to produce the “Indiana Statewide Guidelines for Sexual Assault Response Teams. Michelle is a recognized speaker and trainer at the local, state and national levels. Michelle is responsible for training 2nd year family practice residents, IU medical students, and the local ER staff here in Fort Wayne, IN. She served as a consultant for Fox Valley Technical College and has taught for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). She has also served as faculty for the 7 years at the International Symposium on Child Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama. Michelle is also the professional contributor to the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) Pediatric Guidelines (Review and Revisions Committee, 2008), and to the IAFN 2012 Intimate Partner Violence Education Guidelines.
Michelle has been published and contributed to numerous articles including being a co-author for the article “Veracity for Children in Pediatric Forensics” in the peer-reviewed Journal of Forensic Nursing, which was released on-line June 19, 2012. This article “Veracity for Children in Pediatric Forensics” was also chosen, published and reviewed in The Quarterly Update, Volume XX, Number 3. She is the co-contributor with Julie Kenniston, MSW, LSW, “Sexual Abuse Issues Related to Interviewing Children,” Chapter 2 in Volume 2 of the 4th Edition Chadwick Child Maltreatment Encyclopedia three volume series. Michelle also co-contributes with Laurie Gray, JD for a Q&A Medical-Legal Column, “Legally SANE” in the quarterly newsletter, “The Examiner” for members of the Indiana Chapter of the IAFN and ENA. In April 2015, she co-authored with Laurie Gray, JD the book The ABC’s of Sexual Assault: Anatomy, “Bunk” and the Courtroom. The book addresses the unique forensic and legal aspects of a sexual assault case for professionals and lay persons.
