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American College of Emergency Physicians: Train ER Doctors to Identify Human Trafficking Victims
  1. Signatures
    2,755 out of 5,000
    Petitioning
    1. American College of Emergency Physicians
  2. Created By
    Lauren Sefton
    Washington, DC
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Sep 06, 2011

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has accepted a proposal to create a “continuing medical education” (CME) course to train ER personnel to properly recognize and identify possible victims of human trafficking.  This victory follows a campaign started by George Washington medical student Lauren Sefton on Change.org which gathered over 2,750 signatures.  


The proposed course is extremely important because emergency room personnel are a first line of defense against human trafficking. Victims will be taken to the emergency room to recover from abuses associated with trafficking or other accidents and illnesses. Sometimes, ER personnel may be the first professional people a trafficking victim is allowed contact with. Therefore, it is critical they understand the signs and symptoms of human trafficking, so as to better provide help for the victims.


This proposal was a collaborative effort between Change.org and the Polaris Project- a leading organization in the United States combating all forms of human trafficking and serving both U.S. citizens and foreign national victims- which has already provided material for similar courses.  The final decision by the ACEP board will be announced in January.  

Emergency room personnel are a first line of defense against human trafficking. Victims will be taken to the emergency room to recover from abuses associated with trafficking or other accidents and illnesses. Sometimes, ER personnel may be the first professional people a trafficking victim is allowed contact with. Therefore, it is critical they understand the signs and symptoms of human trafficking, so as to better provide help for the victims.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Identify Human Trafficking Victims

Greetings,

As an ally to emergency professionals and an anti-trafficking advocate, I'm asking you to make a commitment to offer training to ER doctors on how to identify human trafficking victims.

Emergency room personnel are a first line of defense against human trafficking. Victims will be taken to the emergency room to recover from abuses associated with trafficking or other accidents and illnesses. Sometimes, ER personnel may be the first professional people a trafficking victim is allowed contact with. Therefore, it is critical they understand the signs and symptoms of human trafficking, so as to better provide help for the victims.

Please make this commitment and help us fight human trafficking.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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