Medical students learn how to identify and help victims of human trafficking

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine students sit in on the first of two lectures where they learn how to identify and help patients who are victims of human trafficking.

OUWB kicked off its first Lunch n’ Learn of the school year with a presentation by Assistant Attorney General Kelly Carter on the topic, “Human Trafficking: A Medico-Legal Problem in Michigan.” OUWB medical student Theresa Yankovich, class of 2017, is doing her Capstone research on this subject and presented alongside the assistant attorney general.

Fast Facts: Human Trafficking  Human trafficking is also known as modern-day slavery and is defined as the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purpose of slavery, forced labor, and servitude. More people are enslaved today than at the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade (Polaris Project, 2012) Human trafficking is estimated to be a $33 billion industry affecting 162 countries 12.3 million men, women and children are trafficked globally for purposes of forced labor or commercial sex 122 products have been identified by the US Department of Labor as products produced by forced labor 160 cases a month of girls being sold online or through escort services have been identified in Michigan (2011 data, MI Women’s Foundation) The National Human Trafficking Resources Center operates a 24/7 hotline at: 1-888-373-7888

Assistant Attorney General Carter educated medical students about human trafficking and discussed telltale signs of what to look for in patients so they could improve their ability to identify victims and recognize and report cases of human trafficking. She distinguished between two forms of human trafficking – sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

Medical students learned that they should be mindful if a patient has some of these signs: Is not in control of his/ her own identification documents like passports or I.D., has few or no personal possessions, is not allowed or able to speak for himself/herself or this person has signs of malnutrition and physical abuse.

“Ask the route they took to get to your office,” said Carter. “Victims of human trafficking won’t know the route because they are subjected to repeated trauma, and they have problems remembering things.”

Following the assistant attorney general’s discussion, Yankovich gave examples of techniques to use to gather more information about a patient’s well being. She emphasized separating the victim from the trafficker to get the patient alone for questioning. She also said that while listening to the patient’s lungs, which requires moving a stethoscope across the person’s back, a physician should take the opportunity to look at the person’s back for branding marks and physical abuse.

Yankovich said to call the authorities at the patient’s discretion and to report the trafficker only if the victim is in agreement and ready to accept help and identify the controller. At all times, hospital personnel need to be aware of the situation and any action being planned.

“Just be as compassionate and kind as you can to them because these victims will not be the easiest to deal with,” said Yankovich.

The conversation about human trafficking continues on October 17 from 1 – 4 p.m. in 110 O’Dowd when the OUWB chapter of AMWA welcomes Deena Policicchio, Outreach and Education Program Director, Alternatives for Girls. Policicchio will be training health care professionals. The chapter was named the top school for having the most students to complete the online training for human trafficking found on the national AMWA portal at http://www.doc-path.org/