For the last in a series of virtual sessions, AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence gathered more than 217 health care professionals and community partners to hear from human trafficking experts, survivors and health care leaders who are working to advance anti-trafficking efforts in their organizations. Participants in the workshop, which was organized by AHA in conjunction with Jones Day law firm and HEAL Trafficking, heard about key insights from prior events, with the discussion focused on dispelling misconceptions of trafficking; human trafficking 101; tools for engaging with victims in a trauma-informed manner; and building response programs from scratch. 
 
The event also included an emotional and impactful account of human trafficking, given by Jose Alfaro, a survivor and activist. Other speakers included Hanni Stoklosa, M.D., executive director of HEAL Trafficking; Wendy Macias-Konstantopoulos, M.D., director of the Center for Social Justice and Health Equity and founding executive director of MGH Freedom Clinic; Ingrid Johnson, R.N., trafficking survivor and patient access manager at Atlantic Health System – Overlook Medical Center; and Holly Gibbs, trafficking survivor and system director of violence and human trafficking response at CommonSpirit Health.   
  
Learn more about AHA’s ongoing work to combat human trafficking here.

Related News Articles

Headline
Learn how Baltimore-based Mercy Medical Center’s Blue Dot Human Trafficking Initiative identifies and protects potential victims of human trafficking while…
Headline
President Biden Sept. 22 established the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to reduce gun violence. Vice President Harris will oversee the new…
Perspective
Hospitals are places of healing, health and hope. They strive to create safe spaces for the patients and communities they serve and the dedicated team members…
Headline
AHA’s Trustee Services and Hospitals Against Violence teams have released a new brief to raise awareness about violence as a public health issue with hospital…
Headline
At its National Human Trafficking Prevention Summit, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a national innovation challenge to prevent…
Perspective
Hospitals and health systems are beacons of healing, comfort, care and hope. They also are the first places people turn to in times of disaster, emergency and…