A slow climb: Ending human trafficking
Emergency departments and community partners that champion programs to combat human trafficking are popping up around the country. But the movement still has a long way to go.
By Shelly Strom ENA Connection Contributor
When a patient walked into a Seattle emergency department this spring, the nurse who took the case wasn’t expecting the patient to admit to being trafficked and ask for help to escape.
While the patient’s alleged trafficker waited in the lobby, staff called 911. First responders arrived minutes later to ensure the patient received a secure transport out of the facility to the safety of a shelter.
In addition to the safe passage, the patient became the beneficiary of a new partnership between Seattle-based Swedish health system and Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network. Victims of human trafficking who visit Swedish facilities receive ongoing health care at no charge and a roof over their head.
WARN has partnered with Swedish to provide training for hundreds of staffers — from nurses and providers to patient registration representatives and social workers — in how to identify, treat and report suspected human trafficking victims. To read the entire article, please contact me.