‘Ville Initiative Earns Innovation Award for Safety Culture

In a mass casualty event, every second counts. When people are losing blood and may not make it to the hospital without immediate intervention, do you know what to do? Are you prepared to help save a life? Thanks to the Environmental Health and Safety Director, Paul Hill, our campus has the tools and training to act swiftly in such emergencies. The "Stop the Bleed" program, a collaboration between Hill and the Wehrheim School of Nursing, helped earn Millersville University the 2024 Innovation Award for Safety Culture for a Small School. The award was given out by the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association.

The initiative equips students and staff with the essential skills to manage severe bleeding and potentially save lives. It includes installing "Stop the Bleed" kits across campus.

"This award represents a new culture of safety at Millersville University and evidence of the lengths to which we will go to not only treat significant injuries but also to evaluate the hazards present on our campus and take action to mitigate the potential for harm," says Hill.

The "Stop the Bleed" program aims to save lives by preventing significant blood loss after traumatic injuries. This initiative includes a comprehensive training program and the installation of bleeding control kits across campus, ensuring that students and staff are prepared to act swiftly in emergencies.

The "Stop the Bleed" campaign was initiated by a federal interagency workgroup convened by the National Security Council Staff. The campaign aims to enhance national resilience by preparing the public to save lives through awareness of basic actions to stop life-threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies and disasters. This initiative is informed by advances in military medicine and hemorrhage control research from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, exemplifying the translation of battlefield knowledge to benefit the general public at home.

"I am hopeful that individuals on campus feel empowered to develop processes that improve the safety of their work areas and to contact EHS if concerned about safety, health and preparedness issues on campus," says Hill. Additional Stop the Bleed training classes are planned for the fall semester.

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