Denise Schepici, president of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and Claire Seguin, chief nurse and vice president of operations, received the Healthcare Community Outreach Partner Award during the second annual Freedom Gala in December to benefit The O’Connell House.

The O’Connell House is the only Catholic safe house in Massachusetts for women and their infant children who are fleeing human trafficking. The house is in the Merrimack Valley, but Ms. Schepici and Ms. Seguin worked with The O’Connell House to expand its healthcare trainings from the Boston area to hospitals on Cape Cod and the Islands.

In May, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital teamed up with seasonal Vineyard resident and Global Strategic Operatives founder Deb O’Hara Rusckowski to host two training sessions on the Island geared toward clinical staff, law enforcement and public health officials. Ms. O’Hara Rusckowski serves as a special advisor to the ambassador on Human Trafficking for the Mission of Malta to the United Nations and is founder of The O’Connell House.

The Freedom Gala was held at the Boston Marriott Newton on Dec. 4.