NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County on Wednesday launched Kings CARES, a new program designed to provide coordinated, long-term medical, forensic and social support for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.
Patients who arrive at Kings County Hospital in East Flabush with injuries related to sexual assault or domestic violence are already treated in the emergency department by the hospital’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). With the launch of Kings CARES, survivors will now receive all follow-up care in one centralized practice for the first time, overseen by a dedicated, specially trained clinical team.
Follow-up services may include obstetric and gynecologic care, behavioral health services and neurologic treatment for survivors who experienced traumatic brain injuries, including injuries related to non-fatal strangulation.
“Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are among the most vulnerable individuals who come through the sliding doors of our emergency department, carrying not only physical injuries but emotional wounds that are often unseen,” said Keesandra K. Agenor, MD, medical director of Brooklyn Sexual Assault Response Teams at NYC Health + Hospitals. “For too long, invisible barriers have kept many from returning for the follow up care they desperately need. Kings CARES is a place where safety is not just promised but felt — a space where survivors can breathe, be heard and receive care without the fear of getting lost in the system that was created to serve them.”
Beyond medical care, Kings CARES provides comprehensive forensic and social support. Services include detailed injury documentation and direct connections to financial assistance, insurance support, housing resources and the city’s domestic violence shelters. Through partnerships with all five New York City District Attorney’s offices and the NYC Family Justice Centers, survivors are connected to free, confidential legal advocacy and victim support services.
Kings County Hospital treated thousands of patients who experienced sexual assault or domestic violence in 2025. During that same period, the NYPD reported a 22% increase in reported rapes citywide, with 566 cases reported in Brooklyn alone. As a New York State–designated Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) Center of Excellence, Kings County Hospital responds daily to victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
The launch of Kings CARES builds on the hospital’s long-standing role in clinical forensic medicine. Kings County Hospital operates the Clinical Forensic Medicine Fellowship, the only program of its kind in New York State.
The one-year fellowship trains physicians to identify and treat victims of violence, preserve forensic evidence, support legal proceedings and recognize patterns of abuse such as strangulation, ligature marks and restraints. Since its launch in 2022, three physicians have completed the fellowship.
