ThedaCare continues efforts through ‘Stop the Bleed’ program
NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – In 2018, ThedaCare launched ‘Stop the Bleed,’ a nationwide initiative to teach bystanders how to help in a bleeding incident before professionals arrive on the scene.
More than five years later, officials are celebrating the nearly 2,000 community members who have been trained.
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“So often, the first responder to bleeding emergencies is a bystander or family member, not a trained emergency medical responder,” explained Dr. David Schultz, a General Surgeon and Medical Director of ThedaCare’s Level II Trauma Center. “This is why it is so important to train community members how to care for bleeding emergencies. The faster bleeding is stopped, the more opportunities there are for better outcomes for that person.”
Stop the Bleed education program is modeled after the United States Army’s effort to equip soldiers with trauma supplies and the knowledge to use them.
In some instances, as part of the program, kits with basic medical supplies to stop bleeding, such as gauze and tourniquets, are placed in public buildings next to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). During training sessions, people learn how to apply pressure, pack a wound, and apply a tourniquet if necessary.
“The initiative is designed to help non-medically trained people recognize life-threatening bleeding and then provide helpful interventions,” Dr. Schultz said. “The earlier care can be provided to victims, the better. You can reduce the chances of a person going into shock, decrease complications, and potentially help patients be in a better condition when trained medical responders arrive.”
On March 12, 2024, ThedaCare trained nearly 100 nursing students at UW-Oshkosh. This training has taken place for the past several years, and is one of the largest groups experiencing Stop the Bleed education.
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“Through these trainings, such as the one at UW-Oshkosh, those who receive the training can then share that training and information with others,” said Dr. Schultz. “We are encouraged that Stop the Bleed has a ripple effect, touching the lives of more people in our communities.”
According to the national Stop the Bleed program, more than 2.6 million people have been trained through the campaign.
