Tamara Jackson, MSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, DM-AFN, has spent her career transforming how survivors of sexual assault and violence are cared for in Chicago: one exam, one nurse, and one hospital system at a time. As System SANE Program Manager at Sinai Chicago Health System, she has now built two comprehensive forensic nursing programs at two different health systems in the city.
Jackson’s leadership goes far beyond her own unit. She regularly mentors “baby nurses” through their SANE training — including nurses who don’t work for her program — showing up in person to help with an exam so that a survivor’s first encounter with a forensic nurse, and a new nurse’s first exam, are both handled with skill and compassion. At Sinai Chicago, she has expanded her team’s reach to serve patients experiencing intimate partner violence, non-fatal strangulation, elder abuse, and human trafficking, and has negotiated contracts to extend these services to other local hospitals because, as she puts it, hospital politics shouldn’t stand in the way of quality care.
Her commitment to education runs deep: Over the course of her career, Jackson has logged hundreds of hours of continuing education, from advanced strangulation prevention training to pediatric SANE certification to human trafficking response, and has passed that knowledge on as a Clinical Instructor with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. She has led forensic staff trainings, case reviews, and SANE clinical trainings for hospital systems across Illinois, and she helped pilot a statewide sexual assault kit tracking project with the Attorney General’s office.
Jackson’s influence also extends into systems-level change. She has collaborated with law enforcement and advocacy partners to strengthen coordinated community response, contributing to updates in the Chicago Police Department’s response policy, and serves on the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force Healthcare committee. As a Board Member Elect of the Academy of Forensic Nursing and a member of its Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Kit special interest groups, she helps shape the direction of the field nationally, regularly presenting at conferences including EVAWI, the Conference on Crimes Against Women, and the Academy of Forensic Nursing annual conferences. She has also updated and revised the sexual assault treatment policy at a major Chicago hospital and consulted on a Rape Victim Advocate medical training manual.
Colleagues describe her as relentless in pursuit of better care. Retired Chicago Police Detective Bryan Barlow, who has worked alongside Tamara for seven years, says her tireless dedication has “raised the level of care and compassion” patients receive, while fellow forensic nurse leader Jaclyn Rodriguez calls her a true “game-changer” in Chicago’s medical forensic programs.
EVAWI is proud to recognize Tamara Jackson as a Champion of Change for her work building lasting forensic nursing infrastructure in Chicago, mentoring the next generation of SANEs, and pushing for a coordinated, survivor-centered community response.