Media Advisory: Massachusetts Legislators and American College of Surgeons to Host News Conference in Support of STOP THE BLEED® Legislation

Newswise — BOSTON (October 20, 2023): Representatives from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) STOP THE BLEED® program, along with Massachusetts state legislators, will host a news conference on Monday, October 23, in support of recent legislation that would expand lifesaving STOP THE BLEED® kits and training throughout Massachusetts.

The proposed legislation, H. 2282 and S. 1462, introduced by State Rep. Marcus Vaughn (R-9^th Norfolk) and State Sen. Mike Rush (D-Norfolk and Suffolk), respectively, would require the placement of STOP THE BLEED® kits — containing a tourniquet, gauze, gloves, and a training booklet — in public buildings across the Commonwealth.

STOP THE BLEED® kits can dramatically reduce mortality by enabling bystanders to save lives during the crucial minutes immediately following a traumatic bleeding injury before emergency responders arrive.

WHAT: Live news conference

WHEN: Monday, October 23, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. ET

WHERE: Massachusetts State House, Room 437

WHO: The following people will be available for questions and commentary during the news conference:

• State Rep. Marcus Vaughn (R-9^th Norfolk), bill sponsor
• State Sen. Mike Rush (D-Norfolk and Suffolk), bill sponsor (invited)
• Peter S. Hopewood, MD, FACS, general surgeon and advocate for this legislation
• Kenji Inaba, MD, FACS, FRCSC, Chair, ACS STOP THE BLEED® Committee
• Jeffrey D. Kerby, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair, ACS Committee on Trauma
• Eileen Bulger, MD, FACS, Medical Director, ACS Trauma Programs

DETAILS: Following the remarks from the state legislators and ACS representatives, STOP THE BLEED® will be onsite to provide a demonstration of the basic techniques of bleeding control.

Journalists planning to attend should contact Robert Tougas for more information, [email protected].

For more information about STOP THE BLEED®, contact [email protected].

STOP THE BLEED^® was launched in October of 2015 by the White House, with a call to action to make our nation more resilient and to begin training more people to become immediate responders during a bleeding emergency until professional help arrives. The ACS STOP THE BLEED^® program is operated under a licensing agreement granted by the Department of Defense.

Learn more on the STOP THE BLEED^® website.

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About the American College of Surgeons 
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.