Leaders of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) hosted a congressional briefing to highlight the ACS and Hartford Consensus bleeding control program. Special guests included Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX), and ranking member Rep. Gene Green (D-TX), as well as Reps. Richard Hudson (R-NC), and Bill Flores (R-TX), members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Lawmakers had the opportunity to participate in simulations on how to treat multiple severe bleeding injuries.
Just as individuals trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation are better equipped to save heart attack patients, civilians familiar with basic bleeding control techniques are better able to help people who have been traumatically injured in a mass casualty event. The College’s effort to make this training available to the public is driven by the goal of reducing or eliminating preventable death from bleeding from traumatic injury.
The ACS has been a long-standing champion of programs that improve the quality of health care. ACS Executive Director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, a trauma surgeon, is acutely aware of the importance of bleeding control. “Our Committee on Trauma is leading the advancement in the care of the injured patient, and it’s important to see their message gaining support on Capitol Hill,” Dr. Hoyt said.
Ronald Stewart, MD, FACS, Chairman of the ACS COT, spoke on the importance of this program and how events like the Capitol Hill simulation are increasing general awareness about bleeding control. “One of the most vital things we can do is make the public aware of techniques to stop the bleed and to keep hosting bleeding control events in our communities,” Dr. Stewart said.
Other COT representatives who led the simulations included Leonard J. Weireter, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair; Michael Coburn, MD, FACS; Mark Gestring, MD, FACS; Robert Winchell, MD, FACS; Eileen Bulger, MD, FACS; Ronald Simon, MD, FACS; and Brian Gavitt, MD, MPH, on behalf of the U.S. Air Force.
For more information on bleeding control, visit BleedingControl.org. To learn more about trauma advocacy, contact Justin Rosen, Congressional Lobbyist, ACS Division of Advocacy and Health Policy, at jrosen@facs.org.
