Stop the Bleed program

Published February 23, 2018

Mercy Hospital Fort Smith partnered with trainers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Fort Smith Emergency Medical Services to bring a Stop the Bleed class to Greenwood School District Feb. 19. Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma. Just as CPR training has saved lives, teaching more people how to respond properly to uncontrolled bleeding can do the same, according to registered nurse Linda Nelson, trauma program manager at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.

“Our nation has learned some painful lessons from school shootings and bombings. We have learned that we must teach the public, lay responders and educators to work together as a team in order to save lives,” said Nelson, who was part of a group of medical professionals who trained school personnel locally how to stop bleeding in emergency situations.

Headed by Clayton Goddard with Metropolitan Emergency Services in Little Rock, the group led training for 50 to 70 school teachers, nurses and administrators. 

Arkansas is leading the nation in bringing the Stop the Bleed program into communities. Schools that participate in the training will receive a wall-mounted unit with five individual tourniquet kits thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Health.