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Stop the Bleed teaches life-saving lesson

PARKERSBURG — Thursday was National Stop the Bleed Day in West Virginia.

The initiative was started in October 2015, under President Obama, and encourages people to learn how to stop bleeding in an emergency before professional help arrives.

The idea is, before first responders arrive, victims suffering major blood loss would have a better chance of survival if people knew how to render aid to stop the bleeding.

Gov. Jim Justice proclaimed Thursday as National Stop the Bleed Day in West Virginia.

The WVU Medicine Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center and the American College of Surgeons want people to learn how to Stop the Bleed to prevent death from hemorrhage.

“It is important that community members have the knowledge of how to react in a life-threatening emergency,” Gregory Schaefer, D.O., WVU Medicine trauma surgeon and physician champion of the Stop the Bleed campaign, said. “The Stop the Bleed initiative helps us educate civilians, medical personnel, emergency responders, and law enforcement to become leaders in hemorrhage response.

“No one should die of hemorrhage before they reach the hospital,” Schaefer said. “We are responsible for educating the community and first responders on how to stop bleeding in an emergency.”

WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center, with local boards of education, has presented the Stop the Bleed safety program in schools.

The local program was spearheaded by Chris Dellinger, director of case management and trauma services at Camden Clark, and trauma surgeon Dr. William Cline. The hospital presented the training to school personnel in Wood and Washington counties.

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