BayCare has again partnered with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to support endangered youth during a recent human trafficking operation called “Operation Home for the Holidays.” The two-week effort, led by the USMS, took place in 11 counties across four Florida cities: Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Ft. Myers. Authorities recovered 122 critically missing teenagers, with 57 located in the Tampa Bay area.
Children found in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties were taken to a secure Recovery Hub managed by BayCare. At this facility, clinical staff trained in trauma-informed care provided both medical and mental health services in a safe environment. The Recovery Hub included comforting features such as calming decorations, blankets, clean clothes, personal items, and emotional support from Polar—a labrador retriever trained for this purpose.
Polar’s presence was arranged through Hero to a Child. Other local organizations also participated in supporting Operation Home for the Holidays, including the Department of Children and Families, Pasco Kids First, Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, More Too Living, One More Child, and Suncoast Center.
“As a mother, it is heartbreaking to see the high need in our area for these types of operations,” said BayCare President and CEO Stephanie Conners. “However, as BayCare is the largest provider of children’s and behavioral health services in the region, we recognize our unique ability to support these missions and are motivated to do so. We pride ourselves on providing compassionate care and serving our communities. There is no greater example of that commitment than our work with the U.S. Marshals Service.”
This collaboration marks the third time BayCare has assisted with a USMS child trafficking operation—the first being “Operation Seminole Saber” in April 2024 followed by “Operation Dragon Eye” in June 2024. With experience from previous operations, BayCare now shares its procedures with other hospital systems involved in similar efforts.
“When we were first approached by the Marshals Service last year to assist with this extraordinary task, we had to think outside the box and develop a workflow that could be adapted quickly to what is a very fluid situation,” said Tracey Kaly, director of clinical operations for BayCare Behavioral Health. “Our incredibly dedicated team, across multiple departments, developed processes to provide the high-level of care required to meet the need. Now that our procedures have been stress tested and refined, we are honored to share what we have learned with others so that they can develop their own strategies to undertake this important work.”
“BayCare played a leading role in establishing the Recovery Hubs,” said Mario Price, deputy U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Florida. “They led a multidisciplinary effort by not only providing space, but a lot of expertise, to make sure that our partner health care organizations were well established and had the confidence to successfully assist with the operation. It’s a testament to BayCare’s leadership.”
At a press conference on November 17 held by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier—where Bill Berger from USMS spoke—it was reported that six arrests were made during these operations within Florida: five in Tampa and one in Ft. Myers. Similar activities took place across nine additional states.
More information about BayCare’s behavioral health programs can be found at their website.
