The Wisconsin Legislature took action to recognize the importance of bleeding control before first responders arrive by declaring March 31, 2018, Wisconsin Trauma Awareness Day. The State Senate unanimously approved Assembly Joint Resolution 111 recognizing the Stop the Bleed campaign. Stop the Bleed is a national awareness call-to-action created to educate people about how to control bleeding and save lives. In Wisconsin, the Froedtert & MCW adult Level I Trauma Center at Froedtert Hospital has taken a leadership role in creating awareness of the Stop the Bleed campaign.
Trauma is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for individuals under age 44 and the fourth leading cause of death overall. Although uncontrolled bleeding does not occur in every instance of trauma, death from bleeding can happen in mere minutes and is the most preventable cause of death.
Stop the Bleed techniques can be useful in everyday emergencies, for example, a serious cut from kitchen or outdoor work, or in mass casualty situations. Initiated after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Stop the Bleed became a national campaign launched in October 2015 by the White House.
Recently, the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Office of Government and Community Relations, in collaboration with Christopher Davis, MD, MPH, MCW trauma and critical care surgeon at Froedtert Hospital, approached Wisconsin legislators Sen. Leah Vukmir and Rep. Dale Kooyenga to advance this resolution. On Feb. 22, the State Assembly approved the resolution and Rep. Kooyenga recognized Dr. Davis for his work training members of the public.
Additionally, nearly 20 staff from U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s several statewide district offices attended Stop the Bleed training in Oshkosh early in March. The training was led by Dr. Davis along with David Gourlay, MD, MCW Chief of Surgery and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Medical Director of Trauma; Robin Ihde, Trauma Program Injury Prevention/Outreach Education Coordinator; and Tabitha Uitenbroek, Trauma Program Manager at ThedaCare.
You can save a life: Learn the ABCs of Stop the Bleed:
- A is for Alert: ensure you’re safe, then call 911.
- B is for Bleeding: find the source of the bleed.
- C is for Compression: Apply pressure, apply a medical tourniquet or pack the wound and apply pressure.
Stop the Bleed training provided by the Froedtert & MCW adult Level I Trauma Center is free and available to the public. The Trauma Center has also offered training to MCW faculty as well as staff and students on the academic medical center campus. If you are interested in receiving free Stop the Bleed training, learn more and sign up for a class.
Learn more about Stop the Bleed trauma training.
Stop the Bleed
I am an RN and Parish Nurse. I would like to become an instructor and start training members in my congregation on Stop the Bleed. We have an AED in my church. I need to know resources to get teaching kit and purchase kit for my church.
Hi Lillie - Thank you for reaching out. We would be delighted to train you and help you find the additional resources you need. Please send an e-mail to [email protected] with your contact information, so we can connect you to the appropriate team.