The American College of Surgeons (ACS) commends the General Assembly of Virginia for enacting House Bill 1700, which requires all public elementary and high schools in Virginia to provide bleeding control equipment on campus and place kits in accessible locations. The bill was signed into law on March 21 by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).
“Bleeding from trauma requires quick intervention,” said Jason P. Wilson, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, one of the many surgeons who championed HB 1700 and chair of the Issues Committee of the Virginia Chapter of the ACS. “By making Stop the Bleed kits available in schools throughout Virginia, this legislation marks a significant step forward in empowering students and staff to respond to bleeding emergencies and save lives. I am thankful to everyone who had a part in moving this legislation through the process.”
Introduced by Delegate Nadarius Clark (D-84th District), HB 1700 requires bleeding control kits to be placed in each public elementary and high school in Virginia in locations designated by the division safety official or local first responders as being easily accessible. ACS Stop the Bleed kits contain an instructional booklet and other life-saving equipment to help control bleeding in an emergency, such as gauze and a tourniquet. The bill also requires school boards to develop and implement a bleeding control program in public elementary and high schools in Virginia.
In passing HB 1700, Virginia joins 14 other states that have passed bleeding control legislation.
“I am thrilled to see the Virginia General Assembly pass this important bill to make Stop the Bleed kits available in public schools,” said Jessica Burgess, MD, FACS, chief of the division of acute care surgery at EVMS Medical Group at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. “Traumatic injuries and life-threatening bleeding can happen to anyone at any time. As a parent and a trauma surgeon, I feel better knowing that children and staff at our schools will have access to tools that can help save a person’s life in an emergency. This is a great first step towards making our schools safer, and I hope that we can continue to work with our state government to increase awareness and education on this important topic.”
Bleeding injuries from trauma — which can turn severe within a matter of minutes — are a leading cause of death in the country. Created by leading trauma and emergency response professionals, the ACS Stop the Bleed program administers the premier bleeding control course and is the largest global provider of Stop the Bleed training to empower the public and provide access to ACS Stop the Bleed Kits.
“Legislation such as HB 1700 is critically important to the mission of the ACS Stop the Bleed program, which is to empower everyone to recognize the signs of a bleeding emergency and know how to respond while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive,” said David S. Shapiro, MD, MHCM, FCCM, FACS, vice-chair of the ACS Stop the Bleed Committee of the ACS Committee on Trauma. “The skills taught in ACS Stop the Bleed courses — coupled with quick access to bleeding control kits — can equip everyone with the knowledge and power to respond to everyday bleeding emergencies.”
