Injury Prevention and Trauma Education

We offer resources and workshops to educate the community about trauma prevention — as well as trauma education for medical professionals.

Injury Prevention

For more information about any of these programs or to request a presentation for your group, please contact Stormont Vail Health’s Injury Prevention Coordinator at (785) 354-5117 or email [email protected].

Stop the Bleed

In an emergency situation, knowing how to control bleeding can save your life or the life of a loved one.

This class meets for 90 minutes to 2 hours and teaches you how to use a tourniquet as well as how to apply pressure until emergency medical professionals get to you.

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Car Seat Checks

Certified technicians will: inspect the child restrain; confirm that the child restraint is correct for the size, weight, and age of the of the child; provide hands-on instruction on how to install and use the child restraint in the vehicle; offer guidance on how to correctly place a child in the restraint; answer questions caregivers may have.

Parents or caregivers can: provide the age and weight for each child under 8 years old; bring the child to the appointment; provide the vehicle owner’s manual; provide the car seat instruction manual; provide the child restraint instructions; allow at least 20-30 minutes for each seat to be checked.

To make a one-on-one appointment with a specialist email [email protected].

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Matter of Balance

Falls are the leading cause of injury and hospitalization for trauma — as well as trauma-related death — among older adults. If you are 65 or older, have had a fall in the past year, or live alone, this workshop provides information on keeping balance, the causes of falls, and dangers to look out for.

Topics covered include:

  • Simple and fun balance and strength training
  • The role that vision plays in keeping your balance
  • How medications can contribute to falls
  • What to look for in safe footwear
  • How to eliminate fall hazards in your home

We meet for 2 hours every week in small groups for 8 weeks.

Enroll for Matter of Balance

Tai Chi

A significant contributor to falls is the fear of falling. With regular practice, Tai Chi not only improves muscle strength and coordination, it also develops a calmness and confidence in the mind. Through movement control, an intentional focus on weight transference and integration of body and mind, regular Tai Chi practice is a cost efficient and effective method to prevent falls as well as reduce the burden of other chronic diseases.

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Safe Kids Shawnee County

Stormont Vail Health is proudly the lead organization for Safe Kids Shawnee County, a coalition of local organizations and individuals with a goal of preventing unintentional injuries in children from 0 to 19 years of age. The coalition offers programs and resources to the community and topics include car seat checkups, safe teen driving, bicycle safety, poison prevention, infant safe sleep, and drowning prevention.

Trauma Education

For more information about trauma education or to request a presentation, please contact Stormont Vail Health’s Trauma Education Coordinator at (785) 270-4632 or email [email protected].

Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) ™

The ATLS™ program, developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, teaches a systematic and concise approach to the care of the trauma patient by providing a safe and reliable method for immediate evaluation and treatment. The program focuses on treating the greatest threat in life first. It demonstrates how to assess a patient’s condition, resuscitate, and stabilize the patient, and determine if his or her needs exceed a facility’s capacity. The program also addresses arranging a patient’s inter-hospital transfer to ensure that optimum care is provided. ATLS™ training provides a common language that can save lives.

The course requires extensive preparation, active participation in the interactive lectures and skills stations. Prior to the course, students will be provided access to the ATLS™ online learning platform and electronic copy of the manual.

  • Audience:
    • Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers that provide initial assessment and stabilization of the injured patient.
    • Other health professionals may attend as non-testing auditors.
  • ATLS ™ Provider Course
    • 2 days in person in Topeka + prework
  • ATLS ™ Refresher Course
    • In person 7.5 hours + prework
    • Audience: This course is for providers that have current certification in ATLS™.

Rural Trauma Team Development Course (RTTDC) ™

RTTDC™ helps rural hospitals with development of their trauma teams. This course developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, is presented at the local facility by a trauma surgeon and others from the trauma center and is customized for the hosting facility. RTTDC™ improves the quality of care in rural communities by developing a timely, organized, and systemic response to the care of the trauma patient, and a team approach that addresses common problems in the initial assessment and stabilization of the injured.

  • 3 hours prework + 1 day (8 hours) in person on site at requesting hospital
  • Audience:
    • Anyone who may be part of the rural trauma team and leadership that can facilitate needed changes, for example:
      • Physicians/Advanced Practice Providers
      • Nurses and Nurse aides
      • EMS
      • Radiology/Lab/Respiratory Therapy
      • Administration

Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) and Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (ENPC)

Stormont Vail Health Topeka Campus regularly offers TNCC and ENPC to prepare nurses with the knowledge needed to provide high quality trauma care using evidence-based interventions.

Trauma Continuing Education

Stormont Vail Health regularly offers trauma continuing education programs for both hospital and prehospital professionals. Upcoming offerings can be found at https://www.eeds.com/portal_calendar.aspx?Portal_SIN=230189 and include:

  • Trauma Grand Rounds: one hour each, offered every other month
  • Trauma and Critical Care Symposium: one day, offered annually
  • Topics in Trauma: four hours, offered annually

Customized Trauma Education and Consultation

We are pleased to work with EMS agencies and rural hospitals to develop education and/or provide program assistance to help them ensure the best care for trauma patients. Some examples include:

  • Evidence based practice trauma case reviews
  • Trauma program development
    • Trauma Performance Improvement and Patient Safety
    • Trauma Registry
    • Injury Prevention program development assistance (fall prevention coach training, Stop the Bleed training, Safe Kids coalition development)