Philadelphia health department takes over management of sexual assault response center from Drexel University

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Philadelphia’s only centralized center dedicated exclusively to examining, treating and supporting survivors of sexual assault is now managed by the city Department of Public Health, officials announced Wednesday.

The Philadelphia Sexual Assault Response Center, known as PSARC, has been operating under Drexel University since 2011 with support from WOAR – Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence.

The center has faced significant challenges over the years, including staffing shortages and funding gaps at a time when demand for sexual assault exams and care has grown. 

The city will now assume the center’s costs at its location on E. Hunting Park Avenue in North Philadelphia with $300,000 earmarked in the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget.

Supporters called the move “inspiring and hopeful” for the future of support services after sexual assault. 

“This space is vital to survivors in the city of Philadelphia. This was necessary. This funding was necessary,” said LaQuisha Anthony, acting executive director at WOAR. “We look forward to this next chapter and hope and determine that an unwavering commitment to survivors in our community continues.”

Drexel is “proud to transition this vital program” to the city health department, Emily Roper, dean of Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, said in a statement. 

“For more than a decade, PSARC has provided compassionate, expert care to survivors of sexual assault, and we are deeply grateful to the dedicated clinicians and staff whose unwavering commitment has made that possible,” Roper said. “This transition has been thoughtfully planned in close collaboration with the City of Philadelphia to ensure continuity of services for survivors while positioning PSARC for continued growth and long-term sustainability as a critical resource for the Philadelphia community.” 

PSARC is staffed by doctors and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, or SANE professionals, who are trained to perform forensic sexual assault examinations and rape kits, including the collection of evidence that could be used if and when survivors pursue criminal charges against an attacker.

Medical teams also provide trauma-informed comfort, guidance and follow-up care for assault survivors. 

PSARC performed 338 forensic exams last year, according to city officials, a 9% increase from 2024, said Dr. Nina Ahmad, at-large city council member and chair of the Committee on Public Health and Human Services.

“This is a very timely move for us to tell the city that we’re taking this seriously,” she said of the transition. 

The center has become a vital resource for survivors who can otherwise face long wait times in hospital emergency departments to be seen, and where a SANE expert may not always be available, Ahmad said.

“PSARC is a calm, survivor centered experience that prioritizes the needs of people going through what is likely the worst day of their lives,” she said. 

The fact that the city failed to contribute any funding toward the center in previous years was “irresponsible and shameful for us as a city,” Ahmad said.

The city’s health department has hired all of PSARC’s current full-time staff. The center will be led by obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Aasta Mehta, director of the city’s division of Reproductive, Adolescent, and Child Health.

Drexel will continue to support PSARC through the transition and remain a partner, including through its SANE training and accreditation program, university leaders said.

Residents seeking information about PSARC can call 215-800-1589. People seeking immediate assistance can call the 24/7 emergency line at 215-425-1625 to speak with a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.