News

St. Luke’s University Health Network recently provided “Stop the Bleed” training to 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade girls in Nazareth Intermediate School’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) program.

St. Luke’s “Stop the Bleed” efforts are part of a national trauma initiative to provide training on how to control bleeding in the event of an accident or injury, and to improve the injured patient’s chance of survival. 

According to the National Trauma Institute, severe bleeding is a common cause of death during emergency situations and traumatic accidents such as mass shootings, car accidents and home or industrial accidents, with nearly 35 percent of fatalities occurring before victims even arrive at the hospital.

Peter Thomas, DO, Director of Trauma at St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN), shares that the Network has trained nearly 4,000 community members since starting the program two years ago.  “So far teachers, administrators and staff of 30 area school districts have been our primary audience,” explains Dr. Thomas.  “We have also provided training for police departments and sheriff’s offices, as well as other regional first responders.” 

Since January 2018, several girls scouts and cub scouts have received informal training, but the recent visit at Nazareth Intermediate School was the largest student “Stop the Bleed” training to date. St. Luke’s Trauma Outreach Coordinator, Andrea Nesfeder, MPH, taught the STEM program girls three techniques – direct pressure, packing a wound and using a tourniquet -- to save a life before someone bleeds out.

In addition to the training, which is conducted largely by volunteers, St. Luke’s has donated $100,000 in “Stop the Bleed” products to schools, police officers and their police cars.  Individual and multi-pack controls kits include the necessary supplies and resources – such as tourniquets and bleeding control dressings -- needed to respond to and treat bleeding emergencies.

As part of St. Luke’s ongoing commitment, monthly “Stop the Bleed” training programs are held at St. Luke’s University Hospital – Bethlehem.  The one-hour program is provided free of charge to individuals, police departments and school and community groups. 

“No one should die from uncontrolled bleeding,” says Dr. Thomas.  “Teaching ‘first care providers’ how to apply tourniquets can help save more lives and significantly reduce the number of deaths that can occur in the time it takes for patients to be transported to the nearest trauma center.”  Learn more:  https://www.slhn.org/stop-the-bleed