Hospitals are in a unique position to identify and assist victims of human trafficking. In fact, these victims are often seen by health care providers at some point during their exploitation and 63% of those encounters occur in a hospital emergency room. This can happen in any community, big or small, and victims are not always easy to spot. Do you and your staff know how to identify a potential victim and how to help them?

OHA has partnered with Ascension St. John, Tulsa, to assist you in developing your hospital-specific plan related to human trafficking. Ascension St. John initiated a system-wide response to this serious issue in 2018 by introducing standard training and resources to assist health care providers and other staff to identify victims of labor and sex trafficking and to respond to these persons in a trauma-informed manner. Their toolkit and personal assistance will enable your facility to implement a program to match the resources you are willing to commit.

If you are interested in learning how your hospital can assist victims of human trafficking, the staff of Ascension St. John is offering a free webinar at 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 26.  To register, click here.