HCA Florida Ocala Hospital trauma team to provide 'Stop the Bleed' training to school officials
This month, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital will provide lifesaving STOP THE BLEED® training to 75 officials with Marion County Public Schools.
Uncontrolled bleeding from a traumatic injury is the primary cause of preventable death for people of all ages, according to the American College of Surgeons. Learning how to stabilize and treat a bleeding victim could help save a life.
“Depending on the severity of the wound, someone who suffers an injury causing uncontrolled bleeding can die within three to five minutes. Meanwhile, the national average for emergency medical response is seven to 10 minutes. That means bystanders often are the only ones available to provide aid immediately after a traumatic injury,” noted Dr. Richard Petrik, interim chief medical officer for HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital. “People who are properly trained in the techniques of STOP THE BLEED can render critical, lifesaving assistance that gives these victims a fighting chance until first responders arrive.”
On Oct. 23, colleagues from the HCA Florida Ocala Hospital trauma center will teach these valuable skills to 75 senior staff from Marion County Public Schools, including deans, officials with the Safe Schools Department, and other district personnel.
“The safety of our students is always our top priority,” said interim Marion County Public Schools Superintendent Danielle Brewer, Ed.D. “Participating in these trainings helps our administrators take proactive steps to ensure we respond swiftly and effectively in an emergency, especially with lifesaving skills that can make all the difference in those critical moments before first responders arrive.”
HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital will conduct this training with the assistance of other critical community partners. They include the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, which will supply the STOP THE BLEED® kits for the training, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, which is hosting the session at the Emergency Operations Center in Ocala.
“STOP THE BLEED creates informed action which helps reduce preventable deaths and build community resiliency,” said Mark Lander, administrator at the Florida Department of Health in Marion County (DOH-Marion). “DOH-Marion is glad to support Marion County Public Schools by providing 58 STOP THE BLEED cabinets and kits.”
“Enhancing safety in our county is accomplished in different ways. Training like ‘STOP THE BLEED’ is a positive way to train folks for medical emergencies,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods. “Any way that we can find to potentially save a life, we are going to do it. The value of a single life is immeasurable. My hope is that this small investment of time and training pays great dividends in public safety.”
STOP THE BLEED® training focuses on three techniques: applying pressure to the wound, packing open wounds, and applying a tourniquet.
Training these officials in STOP THE BLEED® builds on an initiative that the HCA Florida Ocala Hospital trauma center launched for the school system earlier this year.
In May, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital Injury Prevention Coordinator Amy O'Brien led a team of hospital colleagues and volunteers in coaching 640 health science students from five Marion County high schools in STOP THE BLEED®.
O’Brien also teaches STOP THE BLEED® classes at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital for members of the public. Those classes will resume in 2026. Anyone interested in learning more about those classes or scheduling a STOP THE BLEED® session may contact O’Brien at (352) 401-1043.