Advocate Good Samaritan, Downers Grove partner on trauma training
Accidents and traumatic incidents happen every day, and uncontrolled bleeding can lead to loss of life in as few three minutes.
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital and the Downers Grove Police Department partnered together this week during National Stop the Bleed Month to give police officers and civilian department employees the training they need to help keep gunshot victims, car crash survivors and other people who are bleeding out until patients can be stabilized and brought to an emergency room.
"Bleeding out is the number one most preventable death in any type of traumatic injury," said Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Trauma Nurse Manager and Stop the Bleed trainer Lori Chiappetta. "By controlling the bleeding early, people can help stabilize patients and expedite treatment in the emergency room."
Throughout the first half of the week, Chiappetta has done trainings at the department's daily roll calls.
The goal of the trainings and the awareness month in May is to give trainees the accessible and life-saving skills required to stabilize someone through applied pressure and proper tourniquet use.
The trainers also gave 100 tourniquets to each participating officer and civilian to use in their official duties.
"We really value any opportunity to get out in the community and teach these life-saving skills," she said. "To do these trainings with our great and eager partners at the Downers Grove Police Department is especially impactful and meaningful."
The program was started by the federal government after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
Deputy Police Chief Michael DeVries said the training will help the department keep people safe beyond their normal patrols and responsibilities.
"It's beneficial even for our officers who receive high-level first aid training to get a refresher on these lifesaving measures, and helpful for our civilians as well," he said. "These are skills that can benefit anyone in the community."
To learn the lifesaving tips, visit www.ahchealthenews.com.