Our SAFE Program Visits Our Nation’s Capital

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has categorized human trafficking as a “modern-day form of slavery,” and human trafficking is considered a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry on the rise in all 50 states. According to a recent report by the U.S. State Department, our country is, once again, ranked as one of the worst countries in the world for human trafficking.

Last week, Laura Clary, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE, our SAFE clinical program manager, Ashley McAree, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, our human trafficking liaison, and Valerie Weir, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, CMSRN, coordinator for GBMC’s domestic violence program, presented at a conference, which focused on human trafficking trends, how agencies are combatting the issue on local, regional and national levels, and human trafficking case studies and available resources. The seminar was held by the National Capital Region Threat Intelligence Consortium (NTIC), sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a critical strategic initiative for sharing information across a range of natural and manmade threats.

GBMC is the first hospital in Baltimore County, and one of only a few in our state, that has an official policy and protocol in place for responding to victims of human trafficking. Our SAFE program was the only one in the Maryland/Washington DC region to present at this seminar and to offer insight on the healthcare response to this devastating issue. Laura and her team talked about our SAFE program and how it’s available on a 24/7 basis for confirmed human trafficking cases coming into the Emergency Department, as well as for consultations throughout the hospital. They also discussed best practices for the identification and treatment of victims of human sex trafficking at a hospital.

I want to congratulate Laura, Ashley, and Val for being part of this important conference and for their efforts to help raise awareness and to combat this problem.


Shedding our normal colors for…

Green and white are GBMC’s colors, but on Wednesday, August 28, we will be subbing our normal colors for lavender in honor of the 19th annual Legacy Chase at Shawan Downs event!

This event annually benefits the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute. Money raised allows us to continue our investment in talent and technology to provide the best for our oncology patients. In addition to the treatment patients receive, they also gain support from GBMC's Oncology Support Services team, which provides free counseling, education, and connections to organizations that help patients and families shoulder their burden during their treatment.

Why lavender? Lavender is the color that represents all cancers. I encourage all our staff to participate by wearing lavender clothing, accessories, or shoes! You will also see many different areas of our campus going lavender that day in promotion of our Legacy Chase event. For more information, visit here.

Blood Drive…Thursday, August 29th
Blood donation is vital to our ability to care for our patients. Please consider giving blood at our next American Red Cross Blood Drive slated for Thursday, August 29. Help us reach our goal of 100 pre-registered donors! The drive is from 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will take place in the Civiletti Conference Center. Register here to donate. Participants have the chance to win some great prizes! It’s easy, it doesn’t take much time, and you will literally be helping to save lives.

We recognize that there are individuals who are ineligible to donate for various reasons. If you or someone you know is ineligible to donate, ask a friend to donate on your behalf (you will both receive the perks)!

I am always very proud of the teamwork displayed through these drives, helping GBMC to be a leader in blood donation. I hope you all consider coming out and helping us with this very important endeavor. Thank you!