By Grace Usher

Havasu Regional Medical Center has been taking initiatives to prevent deaths caused by preventable blood-loss because of an injury. Though typically associated with mass shooting awareness and preparation, a class spokesperson said this knowledge can help those faced with day-to-day activities.

In the community class, participants would learn the basics of wound treatment over a two-hour period. Topics of the course include wound packing, proper tourniquet practices and discerning the wound type for proper treatment. The class is free-of-charge and open to all ages.

“To date, we have completed 31 classes and so far have taught 767 people in our community. This includes all teachers and staff at eight out of 11 of our schools with the other three scheduled to be completed by February,” said Stop the Bleed instructor Danielle Stello.

Courtesy: Havasu Regional Medical Center

The class has been taught to teachers and students of nearly all LHUSD schools as well as Telesis Preparatory Academy, Havasu Preparatory Academy, Calvary Baptist and most recently, Mohave Community College, as the “Tourniquets for Teachers” program.

“We wanted to have a kit in every single classroom, gymnasium, cafeteria, front office, nurse office, library, field. Anywhere where the teachers and kids congregate and they are at high risk. More than just the main areas, we wanted a kit in the classroom because if they were in lock down, they shouldn’t have to leave the classroom.”

In order to make the accessible kits a reality, the group had to raise $16,000. So far, they have successfully reached $20,000 and counting. All items in the kit have been donated by various medical organizations in the area. There are kits in every classroom in every school in Lake Havasu City at this point.

Supplies for the Kits donated by:

HRMC- Education, bags, markers, gloves

River Medical/AMR- Gauze

Native Air/Air Methods- Trauma scissors

“To date, we have been able to raise $22,542.66 and we made 441 kits so we could put one in every classroom, cafeteria, library, front office and football field in Lake Havasu City.  All kits were delivered to the schools before Christmas break so that the teachers had them starting the new year.”

Courtesy: Havasu Regional Medical Center

These kits include tourniquets, clothing scissors, gauze and gloves. Along with the supplies, the kits include a crisis flowchart as a reflection of the skills taught in the class and a discerning tool on the process required for the injury at hand.

“There is nothing more satisfying than empowering our teachers and students with knowledge and tools for safety but in the same breath hoping they never have to use them.”

Classes are monthly from 6-8 p.m., at Havasu Regional Medical Center Learning Center at 1785 McCulloch Blvd.

If interested in taking the course, call: 928-854-7549 or by email at danielle.stello@lpnt.net. RSVP is required.

Upcoming Class Dates:

January 29th
Februray 20th
March 25th
April 23rd
May 28th
June 26th
July 30th
August 27th
September 26th
October 30th
November 13th