Health Care Professionals Learn Signs, Symptoms Of Human Trafficking
June 20, 2019ATLANTIC CITY — Last year, a registered nurse in Pennsylvania was able to identify a victim of human trafficking because of what she learned during a symposium in the resort.
“The whole time, he wouldn’t leave her,” Sharon Brenizer, of Camp Hill, said of the man who had escorted a woman to the emergency department at Holy Spirit Hospital. “She turned out to be listed as a missing person.”
Brenizer was among the dozens of health care providers assembled Friday morning during AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s 21st annual Trauma Symposium at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City for a presentation on human trafficking.
Trafficking victims could come into a hospital or doctor’s office for any number of reasons, from assault, prenatal care and routine checkups to mental health services and addiction treatment, Hunt said. And 87.8% of victims report having contact with a health care provider while they are being trafficked.
However, of the almost 5,700 hospitals across the U.S., only 60 have a plan for treating patients who are being trafficked and 95% percent of emergency room personnel aren’t trained to treat trafficking victims, he added.
To read the full story by Molly Bilinski on The Press of Atlantic City: Click Here