Forensic Nurse Practitioner
Embrace Clinic, Forensic Nursing Service, Fraser Health
Surrey, British Columbia
Hannah Varto is a Nurse Practitioner who co-developed and now co-leads Canada's first and only primary care forensic clinic. As part of a health care response to violence the Embrace Clinic was established in 2015 as a place where patients could access follow up care after an acute medical-forensic examination. Hannah has dedicated her career to leading change in how systems respond to violence including starting a Strangulation Clinic in Sept 2022 to highlight the need for specific medical follow up of this type of violence. Hannah has be an NP since 2006 and has worked most of her career in sexual reproductive health including being a SANE herself starting in 2002! She also teaches at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in the Forensic Health Sciences program as an instructor for aspects of the core forensic nurse examiner training, Forensic Examination of Non-Fatal Strangulation, Forensic Assessment of mTBI and Forensic Assessment of normal and abnormal genital findings. Hannah and her colleagues mentor many health profession learners including medical students, nurse practitioners and forensic nurse examiners. As well, the clinic has recently partnered with the University of British Columbia to develop a number of research studies specific to brain injury and IPV. In Hannah's spare time she works at an urgent care centre, knits, works on puzzles and travels with her partner and two kids.
