Forced labor in health care supply chains is focus of November convening and Jones Day White Paper

Jones Day will join the American Hospital Association's Hospitals Against Violence initiative and HEAL Trafficking (Health, Education, Advocacy, Linkage) in a special convening, "Forced Labor in Health Care Supply Chains: What Hospital Leaders Need to Know."

The convening, held November 3rd in Chicago, will provide practical information and resources to health care providers regarding human trafficking, and is one of the first to specifically focus on health care supply chain issues and how they sometimes interact with forced labor.

"Hospitals and medical providers already play a substantial role in combatting human trafficking," said Bethany Biesenthal, a Jones Day partner and advisory board member of the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center. "Letting health care leaders know how hospital supply chains are potentially impacted by labor trafficking and how they can help prevent these actions is an important step in continuing that trend."

The convening agenda includes discussion panels, a first-hand account from a trafficking survivor, and a case study showing how hospital systems and supply chain leaders can collaborate on a systematic approach to address forced labor in procurement processes.

In tandem with the convening, Jones Day will release a White Paper, "Global Spotlight on Labor Trafficking in Healthcare and Corporate Supply Chains," focusing on international efforts to fight labor trafficking, with an emphasis on recent litigation and legislation targeting forced labor.

"The convening and the White Paper mark Jones Day's most recent efforts in our ongoing work against global trafficking," said Laura Tuell, Global Partner-in-Charge of Pro Bono. "We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to work with outstanding organizations like the AHA and HEAL, and remain committed to anti-trafficking efforts in the years to come."

Jones Day's anti-human trafficking work has included representing trafficking survivors in various legal proceedings, the development of a Best Practices Manual for the creation of specialized Trafficking Courts, and the production of a Global Compendium of the Laws of Human Trafficking.