CHANGE-MAKER

An interest in health care, criminal law and the dignity of the human person intersected with a vow of service for Sister Brigid Mary Meeks, RSM, ’22 JD. Shortly after joining the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, in 2013, Sister Brigid Mary was assigned as the coordinator for the Department of Religion at Saint Francis Health System in Tulsa, Okla., which included participating on the health system’s medical ethics committee. Eventually, her community decided that she should further her education by attending the Charles Widger School of Law.

During her studies, Sister Brigid Mary’s eyes were opened to the scourge of human sex trafficking. Recognizing that health care providers are uniquely positioned to identify and help human trafficking victims, Sister Brigid Mary worked closely with Professor and Harold Reuschlein Scholar Chair Michelle Madden Dempsey, JD, LLM, DPhil, and the Villanova Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation to establish the Human Trafficking Response Program at Saint Francis Health System. An invaluable resource for Oklahoma and hospitals across the nation, the program has empowered thousands of medical providers to assist and uplift one of the most vulnerable and stigmatized populations.

PHOTO: VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY/JOHN SHETRON