ROME, Ga., January 27, 2023 – Atrium Health Floyd has donated almost 1,000 trauma kits to area schools through its partnership with them as official health care provider.
Chattooga County schools, Floyd County Schools, Rome City Schools, Polk County schools, Trion schools and Darlington School recently requested hundreds of the Stop the Bleed kits from Atrium Health Floyd. Requests for the Stop the Bleed kits came after school leaders attended active-shooter response training held by the health care system.
Uncontrolled bleeding due to traumatic injury is the most common cause of death outside of a hospital.
A national Stop the Bleed campaign was initiated by the White House in late 2015. In 2017, the Georgia Trauma Foundation, Georgia Trauma Commission, the Georgia Society of the American College of Surgeons and the Georgia Committee on Trauma launched the program in Georgia statewide.
The state initially approved funding to provide 12 bleeding control kits for every public school in the state.
“Everyone involved hopes they never have to use the kits, but they can definitely save a life," said Chris Butler, director of Atrium Health Floyd Corporate Health. “And we don't just give them the kits and walk away. We also train school officials to use the kits, which include a tourniquet, gloves, gauze, bandages and other supplies that can stop life-threatening bleeding."
Anyone interested in receiving Stop the Bleed training should contact Atrium Health Floyd Emergency Medical Services at 706-509-3820.