A life-threatening bleeding injury can happen anywhere. We've all seen it happen too often – on the news or in everyday life – when people are injured in serious accidents or disasters. Instead of being a witness, you could become an immediate responder. Take the STOP THE BLEED® training course and become empowered to make a life-or-death difference when a bleeding emergency happens.

What you’ll gain from the course:

• By learning how to STOP THE BLEED®, you’ll gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively to control the bleeding.

How we teach:

• Our instructors teach live and in person, using training materials specially developed to teach bleeding control techniques. They not only instruct you but also check your movements as you practice three different bleeding control actions.
• They continue working with you until you demonstrate the correct skills to STOP THE BLEED® and save a life.

Classes are free to caregivers and the public once a month at Providence Regional Medical Center. If you have any questions about our program or classes, please email us at traumainjuryprevention@providence.org or call 425-261-4000.

Helmets save lives and prevent injuries. Wearing the right helmet and protective gear while riding any sort of recreational wheeled device – like a bike, e-bike, skateboard or scooter – is the most effective way to prevent head and brain injuries.

Part of our injury prevention efforts at Providence is to get helmets into our community. We partner with Safe Kids Washington to provide helmets where needed. If you would like a free helmet, please email us at traumainjuryprevention@providence.org or call 425-261-4000.

Below are some resources to help you choose and properly fit your helmet:

• Bike Helmet Safety Fact Sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Fitting Your Bike Helmet from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Helmet Fit Test from Safe Kids Worldwide

Safety tips:

• Bike Safety Tips from Safe Kids Worldwide
• Helmet Safety from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS)

Download the CDC HEADS UP app via the App Store or Google Play:

• Learn how to spot a possible concussion.
• Know what to do if you think your child or teen has a concussion or other serious brain injury.
• Learn proper helmet fit, safety and care using a 3D helmet fit feature.

Same-level falls are the number one cause of injury that brings people to our hospital. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries, responsible for significant disability, hospitalization, loss of independence and reduced quality of life. But falls don’t need to be accepted as an inevitable part of aging.

We recommend you take preventive measures, such as exercise programs to improve strength and balance, home safety modifications and regular health check-ups. These can help reduce the risk of falls among older adults.

Here are some helpful fall prevention resources:

• Fall Prevention for Older Adults from the National Council on Aging (NCOA)
• Fall Prevention Resources from the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH)
• Falls Free Check-up from the NCOA
• Older Adult Fall Prevention from the CDC
• Older Adult Falls from the WA DOH
• Six Steps to Prevent a Fall video from the NCOA
• Tips for Staying Active and Healthy Aging from the NIH National Institute on Aging

Our trauma team consists of double board-certified surgeons in general surgery and surgical critical care, as well as advanced practice providers. They are experienced in providing immediate, comprehensive care to trauma patients.

In addition, we have a strong multidisciplinary team to support our trauma surgeons. Their specialties include:

• Blood bank
• Emergency department (ED)
• Laboratory services
• Neurosurgery
• Nursing
• Nutrition
• Operating room
• Orthopedic surgery
• Pharmacy
• Radiology
• Rehabilitation services (physical, speech and occupational therapists)
• Respiratory services
• Social services and case management
• Spiritual care
• Surgical critical care

Our teams meet daily to review each patient’s care and progress together.

When a trauma patient arrives at the hospital, either via ambulance or walk-in, they are first admitted through the emergency department (ED). If the patient’s condition requires specialized trauma care, our trauma team is on site to deliver immediate patient care. This is done through a coordinated effort among ED staff, trauma surgeons and other specialists.

We have a Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) staffed by trauma surgeons 24/7 to provide specialty care through the most critical phases of injury and recovery. 

This is essential for high-risk patients with existing medical conditions, or for those who have experienced complex trauma and require intensive monitoring and stabilization before they can safely undergo surgery.

We are the first Level II trauma center in Washington State to administer whole blood, which is safer for our trauma patients. This approach reduces the potential for blood reactions that can occur with separated products from multiple donors, such as packed red cells, fresh frozen plasma and platelets.