Valley prepares to stop the bleed

Brought to you by MERCY HEALTH

We are taught that when an emergency happens, we call 9-1-1. In some cases, help can be seconds or minutes away and other times, added factors contribute to lengthier wait times. What if, as a society, we are trained to assist in stopping the bleed while we wait for paramedics?

In moments when tragedy strikes, like many that we have experienced as a nation in recent history; loss of blood remains a leading factor in a person’s ability to recover. As a result, and to help educate as well as prepare people to assist when tragedy strikes, the American College of Surgeons and the Hartford Consensus developed Stop the Bleed; a directive under the Obama Administration.

The Stop the Bleed program was developed to emphasize the dangers of traumatic injury and the effects that bleeding has on recovery. In fact, uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death from trauma according to the Stop the Bleed initiative. In a world where we are faced with unsuspected tragedy, having everyday people able to apply pressure and help mitigate bleeding, will justly save lives.

“Stop the bleed is a response to many unforeseen and tragic events throughout the country and world.” said Amanda Lencyk, trauma coordinator for Mercy Health – Youngstown. “So often in times of mass injury or trauma, the loss of blood truly determines the outcome and recovery. Having everyday people trained to jump in when they see a need, is incredibly impactful and meaningful to our community.” she said.

Mercy Health – Youngstown has been providing the Stop the Bleed training locally for more than a year to help bring awareness and preparedness on how to respond when traumatic events occur.

The Stop the Bleed program follows the ABCs of bleeding which include:

A – ALERT: call 911

B – BLEEDING: find the bleeding injury

C – COMPRESS: apply pressure to help decrease the flow of blood

Not only is the program impactful for the general public, school districts across the Country have been participating in the training to prepare teachers, aides and office staff. “Having our children surrounded by people that can help when an unforeseen playground fall happens or even something more serious, is an added peace of mind for parents. They know their children are with people that can help.” Lencyk said. “This program is no cost to the district or the public and therefore, our hope at Mercy, is that every district in our reach embraces this opportunity” she added.

School districts that utilize the Stop the Bleed training receive an official Stop the Bleed Kit that is located by AEDs within the buildings through a grant provided by the Mercy Health Foundation – Mahoning Valley.

In addition to public and school trainings, a third component of the Stop the Bleed program is known as Train the Trainer - where medical professionals are educated on becoming trainers themselves by following the ABCs of blood control. Currently, Mercy Health has trained more than 100 NEOMED and LECOM students who are taking this initiative to communities across the nation and world. For more information on training classes or how to schedule your group session, please call Amanda Lencyk at 330.480.2496