A group of Iowa sexual assault nurses have long had a vision for a place they can better care for abuse survivors. Now, that vision has a home.

SAFE Center of Iowa will open a standalone treatment center next year in the DMU32 complex at 3200 Grand Ave., the former campus of Des Moines University, the nonprofit group announced Tuesday, Nov. 4. The announcement follows years of planning and fundraising and came after the Polk County Board of Supervisors voted the same day to approve a three-year lease agreement for the clinic, backed by $500,000 from the county.

The treatment center will offer a dedicated location for assault victims to seek treatment and evaluation by trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners and other clinicians. SANE nurses are trained in trauma-informed care for assaul

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