Tristan Bohlman, MS2, Wyoming
The challenge: Sundance is a rural town in Crook County, Wyoming. With only one county hospital over 2,865 square miles, many individuals are over 30 miles from the nearest hospital. The distance and time it takes to reach emergency care is an area of concern for many of the 7,584 people making up the county.
After speaking with a number of community stakeholders including patients, physicians, and public health officials, I learned of the need to address how the community responds to life-threatening bleeding.
The project: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the usefulness and potential of offering regular Stop the Bleed courses to community members as a means to build confidence and equip individuals with the skills and tools necessary to intervene in the event of life threatening bleeding.
With an emphasis on community education from EMS and public health personnel in regards to hemorrhagic control following an injury, a partnership was formed between the Access and Functional Needs branch of Cook County Public Health and the Crook County Hospital Health Fair to host Stop the Bleed courses.
Four EMTs/RNs were trained to be instructors for the Stop the Bleed course. Next steps include acquiring funds for Stop the Bleed class supplies and kits, organizing instructors and meeting locations at the health fair, advertising, and organizing a sign-up sheet for future classes.
Reflections: What excited me most about this project was feeling like I might be able to leave something tangible with the community. The excitement and interest in the Stop the Bleed course from local first responders and public health personnel was encouraging!
The town of Sundance and Crook County community prioritize looking out for each other, and I was excited to contribute to this in any small way I could, seeking to equip the community with the tools they needed to respond to life-threatening bleeding in such a rural setting.
I really valued the experience of getting to know a community and their needs and partnering with local organizations to accomplish this.