We had a patient reach out to share a recent career highlight and we couldn’t be more proud! We asked her if she would be ok with us sharing her story. Her reply was, “Yes-absolutely. If it can give someone else a little confidence to go out and take control of their disability, then I’m all for it!”
I have had the opportunity to work with Star for approximately 15 years.
I asked Star to describe her own hearing loss in relation to her work. She said, “Over the years, I’ve experienced progressive—now profound—hearing loss that has gradually changed how I move through the world and how I communicate. It has been a journey of adapting, learning new strategies, and finding tools that help me stay fully engaged in the work I love. My hearing loss doesn’t define me, but it is a meaningful part of my story — one that has shaped my resilience, my advocacy, and my commitment to supporting others.”
She truly is a Rockstar! Sharing her career highlight was part of her Thank You to us in which she wrote- “Think about at all the patients whose care has been impacted because you helped me keep doing what I do — and all the patients and nurses I’ve been able to educate and touch along the way. Your support didn’t just lift me up; it amplified the impact on every person we reach.”
Help us say THANK YOU back to Star for the positive impact she is making in our community and beyond.
Read the full article and all the nominees here: https://www.nsvrc.org/vva_page/visionary-voice-awards-2026/
Visionary Voice Awards- 2026 (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)
The Visionary Voice Awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated outstanding work to end sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
NSVRC offers the Visionary Voice Awards, in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month each April, to recognize the creativity and hard work of individuals around the country who have demonstrated outstanding work to end sexual violence. Each year, state, territory, and tribal coalitions select an outstanding individual to nominate for the awards. Nominees may be partners from a local community or other outstanding individuals that have worked to end sexual violence.
Starlyn Ritter
Nominated by Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Ritter is a Registered Nurse with over 25 years of clinical and educational expertise spanning sexual assault nursing, emergency care, and professional development. She is deeply committed to advancing nursing practice through high‑quality patient care, process improvement, and evidence‑based education.
Early in her career, Ritter identified a critical gap in sexual assault services within the Phelps Health service area. She led the effort to address this need by securing a Missouri Foundation for Health grant in 2012 and building a collaborative partnership with Russell House and the Rolla Police Department. Through this work, she helped establish the region’s first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, trained more than 50 nurses across the service area, and strengthened community awareness through targeted outreach and education—significantly improving access to specialized care for patients of sexual assault.
At SANE Healthcare Services, Ritter now works full time as the Forensic Clinical Educator, leading education and supporting the team in implementing and refining the TeleSANE program. She collaborates closely with colleagues and partner sites to streamline workflow integration, expand access to forensic nursing services, and strengthen TeleSANE education across the region. In addition to her educator role, she continues to provide direct patient care as a bedside SANE nurse and through TeleSANE, ensuring her teaching remains grounded in current clinical practice.
Beyond her clinical education leadership, Ritter is a Legal Nurse Consultant, providing expert analysis of medical records and offering testimony in both nursing care and forensic cases. Her cross‑disciplinary insight enhances interprofessional collaboration and bridges gaps in the healthcare and legal systems.
Ritter holds a Master of Arts in Non‑Profit Administration from Lindenwood University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Central Methodist University. She is Board‑Certified as an Emergency Nurse (CEN) and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner‑Adult (SANE‑A), exemplifying her dedication to excellence and advocacy in nursing practice.
Ritter is also a wife and mother of three adult children and resides in Rosebud, Missouri.