Stop Human Trafficking Event Held at HaysMed

Thanks to support from the estate gift of Lillian Schumacher and an anonymous donor, over 150 healthcare professionals from HaysMed and regional Critical Access Hospitals participated in a free continuing education event at HaysMed focused on identifying and intervening in cases of human trafficking. In addition, remote registrants from six different states participated.

Heidi Olson, RN, MSN, CPN, SANE-P, Founder & President, Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting presented the training. Olson stated, “While being trafficked, 90% of victims interact with healthcare workers, but they are only identified 5% of the time.”

HaysMed recognizes the critical role of community support in raising awareness and identifying instances of human trafficking. This recognition is particularly vital in rural Kansas, where access to resources may be limited. By fostering collaboration, education, and training opportunities like this one within the community, HaysMed aims to continue to combat human trafficking and provide support to victims in need.

The objectives of this course were to apply techniques to identify a trafficking victim in the healthcare setting, apply ways to build rapport with trafficking victims in the healthcare setting, identify exploitation situations in the healthcare setting, and examine opportunities to ensure facilities are equipped to handle difficult situations. Topics from the training also covered identifying the different types of trafficking victims, social media exploitation, and the ideation that victims often choose the “path of least assault”.