The Four Corners Child Advocacy Center is a warm and welcoming environment filled with colorful art, twinkle lights and rooms of stuffed animals.
A staff member recently organized newly donated stuffed animals on the couches in the waiting room. Children visiting the center can choose one to take home.
The calm atmosphere is intentional. The center was established by Dr. Robert Heyl in the 1990s as a place where children suffering from abuse can be heard, believed and cared for while working through trauma.
Now, in that same comforting setting, the center is preparing for a significant expansion in how it serves children. It has added a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to its staff for the first time, expanding its services for children in need.
The addition of SANE nurse Natalia Lobato supports that mission. The center served more than 250 children last year from the surrounding region, including Farmington; about 75% were sexual assault cases and 25% involved other forms of abuse.
Lobato grew up in the area and is raising her children in the community with her husband. She started at the center in January and will begin her duties as a SANE nurse once she completes training.
“It was really hard to find someone with the time and ability to do this kind of work,” CAC Director Lacey Osterloh told The Journal.
Lobato will provide sexual assault and other medical examinations for children and answer questions from children and caregivers, offering education, reassurance and support.
To prepare, she 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.
Osterloh said they knew Lobato would be the right fit before formally asking her to take the position.
When the idea of hiring a full‑time nurse was raised, Lobato’s name came up repeatedly. The search had been underway for years. Lobato first became interested in forensic nursing while studying at Pueblo Community College Southwest, calling the work a personal calling.
She previously worked in several departments at Southwest Memorial Hospital before being approached by the center. Lobato said she had been committed to her work at Southwest Memorial but felt the Lord “opened the doors” at the Child Advocacy Center.
Lobato and Osterloh said the new position is possible through a partnership with UCHealth, which provides support for SANE exams through a specialized telehealth system.
They demonstrated how the system works, highlighting a high‑resolution camera used to check for internal injuries in sexual assault cases. When Lobato performs an exam after completing her training, she will connect with UCHealth’s telehealth system, where a required chaperone will oversee the exam.
Along with providing a chaperone, UCHealth offers quality assurance, guidance, education and resources. UCHealth grants covered the equipment and Lobato’s training costs.
Lobato emphasized the importance of reassurance and believing children who arrive in need of help.
“We can’t help what happens to them, but we can help heal them,” Lobato said.
