Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bystanders Can Save Lives In Mass Shooting Events—Especially If They're Trained On Basic Strategies
The Baltimore Sun: Training Can Help People Stop Bleeding From Traumatic Injuries, Experts Say
These mannequins are mostly used by the military and other government agencies, but the small Maryland company near the Delaware border is getting more attention lately from police forces, hospitals and others that are increasingly training their own staffs and the public how to apply pressure, pack wounds and use a tourniquet. The “Stop the Bleed” movement arose after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut but gained steam with more recent mass casualty events in Las Vegas and Parkland, Fla. Organizers say bystanders need to know how to stop bleeding from gunshot wounds and other injuries because they are on the scene already. Emergency services could be minutes away, enough time for the most grievously wounded victims to bleed to death. (Cohn, 4/21)
KCUR: Health Workers Say 'Battlefield Medicine' Can Keep Kansas City Gun Violence Victims Alive
Tourniquets may be an old concept; they may also be the key to keeping gunshot victims from bleeding to death. Health professionals at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, have been training Kansas City police officers and school administrators how to "Stop the Bleed." It's a campaign out of the White House to raise awareness and train first responders and civilians on basic practices to stop life-threatening bleeding. At a summit on gun violence held by the Jackson County Prosecutor's office on Friday, Truman trauma nurse Andrea Hawk demonstrated how to use tourniquets. (Tudhope, 4/20)
And in other news on guns and public safety —
St. Louis Public Radio: Students Call For Stronger Gun Control In Latest School Walkout
High school students from across the St. Louis region took part in another day of action Friday to call for improved school safety and tighter gun control measures. The protest fell on the 19th anniversary of the school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, where 13 people were killed. Many consider that event the moment when mass school shootings entered Americans’ consciousness. The Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida, has rocketed student activists to the center of the debate over guns. (Delaney, 4/20)
Kaiser Health News: Texas Disability Groups Want A Voice At The Table In Gun Debate
A disability rights group in Texas sent out a survey last month, trying to figure out how many of its members became disabled due to gun violence. The group, ADAPT of Texas, said it’s an effort to collect data that will help inform Texas lawmakers on how they legislate guns. Bob Kafka is an organizer with ADAPT and said that when gun violence happens, particularly mass shootings, the public tends to have a pretty limited discussion about what happens to the victims. (Lopez, 4/23)
New Hampshire Public Radio: At One N.H. High School, Students Find Their Own Way To Remember Victims Of Gun Violence
Students from across New Hampshire walked out of their schools -- and some gathered at the State House -- to call for stricter gun control on Friday. But as NHPR’s Jason Moon reports, at a Catholic high school in Manchester, students took part in the national movement in their own way. On the front lawn of Trinity High School, a few students set up folding chairs in a circle near the flag pole. Senior Emily Gagne made her way around the circle taping a sheet of paper onto the back of each chair. (Moon, 4/20)
