American College of Surgeons Honors First Responders During EMS Week, National STOP THE BLEED Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In observance of National STOP THE BLEED® Day and the 50th anniversary of National EMS Week, American College of Surgeons (ACS) Executive Director & CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, called on everyone to learn bleeding control techniques and other life-saving skills that can help prevent deaths from uncontrolled bleeding and unexpected emergencies. 

Speaking at an event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. organized by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, and in partnership with several other medical organizations, Dr. Turner emphasized the critical work done every day by emergency medical professionals. 

Bystanders Can Save Lives 

To illustrate the importance of learning life-saving skills, Dr. Turner shared the story of Gen. Eric M. Smith, the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps., whose miraculous survival and recovery from a cardiac emergency was recently featured in The Washington Post. 

Gen. Smith was out on a routine 3-mile run when he suddenly collapsed. Thanks to the quick-thinking of a bystander who was trained in CPR, the help of the bystander’s sister, and the swift actions of emergency medical services who arrived on the scene, Gen. Smith received life-saving care before being transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center in D.C. At the hospital, ACS Fellow and cardiothoracic surgeon Thomas MacGillivray, MD, FACS, performed emergency heart surgery on Gen. Smith. 

“The chances of surviving something like this are small, but because of the skills exhibited by everyone that day, a favorable outcome occurred. Dr. MacGillivray credited both the bystanders and the well-prepared EMS team for transporting the General to the hospital with CPR in progress, and allowing him the opportunity to save a life,” Dr. Turner said. “Every day, emergency medicine physicians and surgeons are able to do what we do because of the life-preserving work of our first responder colleagues.” 

Empowering Everyone to Help in an Unexpected Bleeding Emergency 

During the event, held on National STOP THE BLEED Day—which occurs on the Thursday of EMS Week each year—participants received hands-on training on the ACS STOP THE BLEED program, a global program designed to educate everyone on life-saving bleeding control techniques. Participants also had the opportunity to learn other life-saving techniques such as CPR and AED training. 

The ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) recognizes uncontrolled bleeding from traumatic injuries as a leading cause of preventable death for people of all ages throughout the country.  

“Injuries that cause uncontrolled bleeding can happen anywhere, anytime, and often occur in everyday situations,” said COT Chair Jeffrey Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS. “Programs such as STOP THE BLEED are vital to increase education about bleeding control and to teach everyone that they can save lives by using simple techniques taught in the program.” 

In her comments at the STOP THE BLEED Day event on the Mall, Dr. Turner encouraged everyone to seek out STOP THE BLEED training in their community. “In about an hour, you can receive the training—and the confidence—to step in and save a life,” she said. “A small investment of time could be the difference between life and death for someone you love, a friend, a colleague, or a stranger.” 

Since 2017, the ACS STOP THE BLEED program has trained nearly 4 million people in three simple techniques to control bleeding: how to apply direct pressure to the wound, pack the wound, and properly apply a tourniquet. These steps take only a short time to learn and can help save lives by preventing catastrophic blood loss.  

“Too often, my colleagues and I have been unable to save a trauma patient’s life because of extensive blood loss,” Dr. Turner said. “But we know that as more and more people learn this lifesaving skill, we can save more patients—who could be you or someone you love—if bleeding can be controlled in the field, on the street, or in your backyard.”   

Learn more about the ACS STOP THE BLEED program and find a nearby course. 

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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