Someone can die from uncontrolled bleeding in as little as five minutes and a bystander’s ability to rapidly identify and control bleeding can mean the difference between life and death.
Novant Health has received a substantial grant to provide bleeding control kits and education to all 53 Union County Public Schools (UCPS). With these funds, Novant Health trauma team members will work collaboratively with UCPS to educate school emergency response teams, teachers, students and parents. The project aims to train approximately 6,000 Union County residents by the end of 2018.
Led by Angela Clarkson, BSN, RN, TCRN, outreach and injury prevention coordinator at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, Novant Health has already conducted 35 Stop the Bleed training courses to more than 350 community members since August 2017. “A lot of people assume that Stop the Bleed is only useful in the case of a mass casualty event,” said Clarkson. “But anyone who has gone through this training can attest that this program and the techniques it teaches extend far beyond mass casualty events.”
Course participants learn the ABCs of bleeding control: A, be alert and call 911; B, find the bleeding injury; and C, compress it. In small groups with hands-on instruction from Novant Health team members, participants learn how to use tourniquets and pack wounds, and other critical steps to take in the moments following a traumatic event before rescue crews and police arrive. The techniques are straightforward and can be utilized in everyday life by anyone, of any age, and without any prior medical training.
A previous nonmedical participant in a Stop the Bleed training course was able to render lifesaving assistance when they witnessed a car crash in Charlotte recently. The person’s rapid response and confidence in the ability to help drew the attention of another bystander, WBTV’s Molly Grantham, who wrote about the experience on her Facebook page.
Stop the Bleed, launched by the White House in 2015, is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s webpage on the program. If you are interested in attending a Stop the Bleed training session, visit www.bleedingcontrol.org and click “find a class.” Classes are free and take approximately one hour to complete.
About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Named in 2017 by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the nation’s 150 best places to work in healthcare, Novant Health network consists of more than 1,500 physicians and over 28,000 employees that provide care at over 580 locations, including 14 medical centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2017, the health system provided more than $789 million in community benefit, including financial assistance and services. For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
