MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
January 31, 2019
LONDON, Ontario – London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) Trauma Program is dedicated to providing safety education initiatives aimed at preventing injuries and keeping people out of hospital emergency rooms. The reality is that traumatic injuries can occur in the blink of an eye, often with devastating consequences. Severe bleeding, if not stopped or slowed in time, can result in death within minutes.
This month, LHSC is launching a new free education program called “Stop the Bleed®” aimed at teaching individuals in workplaces, organizations and community settings what they can do if they encounter someone with a bleeding emergency.
“We know that when bystanders are knowledgeable in techniques to help stop someone’s bleeding, the potential outcomes for the patient are greatly improved,” says Alison Armstrong, Trauma Program Coordinator at LHSC. “Knowing how to use a tourniquet, or where to apply pressure until first responders arrive on-scene can quite literally make the difference between the individual living or not.”
The Stop the Bleed program was introduced in the United States in 2015, and is aligned with the American College of Surgeons’ “Bleeding Control Basics” course which is now taught throughout the US and Canada. The 90-minute Stop the Bleed program can be tailored to specific workplaces and scenarios and will be offered free of charge.
“Stop the Bleed has proven to be a valuable tool in informing and educating the public on effective techniques to stop or slow blood loss. Our goal is to reach as many individuals and groups as we can with this program, and ultimately, to help save lives,” says Armstrong.
LHSC will be offering its first public training course on Thursday, February 7, 2019 from 6:00pm-7:30pm at Victoria Hospital. Individuals interested in registering for the course are asked to contact Tammy Mills at tammy.mills@lhsc.on.ca or 519-667-6795.
Companies and organizations interested in bringing this training into their workplace are also invited to contact the trauma program to learn more.
About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre has been at the forefront of medicine in Canada for 144 years and offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital, the Kidney Care Centre, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre has a history of over 70 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in southwestern Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca
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For media inquiries contact:
Kathy Leblanc
Corporate Communications and Public Relations
London Health Sciences Centre
519-685-8500, ext. 74772
kathy.leblanc@lhsc.on.ca
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Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communicator on-call
Visit the LHSC Media web site at www.lhsc.on.ca/media
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