Displaying ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits are (front, from left) TASD students Ty Richter, Zahara Hubbard, Kaden Youells, Caitlin Wagner, Hayden Driscole, Piper Lukasavage, Tayrn Ostir, and Jack Welles, (back row) Heather McPherson, TASD’s Superintendent; Ron Coolbaugh, Tyler Memorial Hospital’s Plant Engineering Manager; Megan Terpak, TASD’s School Nurse; Ann Marie Stevens, Tyler Memorial Hospital’s CEO; Shealynn Shave, WCCHF’s Executive Director; Gary Tewksbury, WCCHF’s Chairperson; Ted Kross, Tyler Memorial Hospital’s ER Director; Jason Azarocich, Tunkhannock Area’s Intermediate Center’s Principal.
Submitted Article
As part of the last step in a Stop the Bleed Initiative at Tunkhannock Area School District, members from the Wyoming County Community Health Foundation (WCCHF) and Commonwealth Health Tyler Memorial Hospital spent time putting together over 250 medical kits that were delivered to the school recently. Each Stop the Bleed medical pack includes a CAT Tourniquet, gauze, shears, pressure dressing and other items necessary for a student or faculty member to stop a bleed.
Ted Kross and Ron Coolbaugh of Commonwealth Health Tyler Memorial Hospital and Gail Malloy, trauma injury prevention and outreach coordinator for Commonwealth Health, coordinated and provided training to all staff members of the Tunkhannock Area School District, as well as to the entire 7th grade class of 175 students. Funding for this initiative was provided by the WCCHF from modest grants through the Wyoming County United Way and Peoples Security Charitable Foundation.
WCCHF’s Executive Director, Shealynn Shave, noted, “Providing all employees at the Tunkhannock Area School District as well as the entire 7th grade student body with the basic tools and information on the simple steps they can take in an emergency situation to stop life threatening bleeding can save lives. Equipping each classroom of the school and specific high-traffic areas such as gyms, cafeteria, auditorium, etc. with these emergency medical packs is critical. We are very fortunate to partner with Tyler Memorial Hospital, Commonwealth Health EMS and the Tunkhannock Area School District on this important initiative to ensure the safety of our students and we are eager to deliver this program to other local school districts.”
For additional information on the Stop the Bleed Initiative, please contact Shealynn Shave at the WCCHF at 570-996-1645.