Trauma Response Kits Donated by Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Dr. Robert Snuffer
Posted Date: 7/25/2023
L-R: Michael Cayton, Lewis County Chief Deputy Sheriff; James Taylor, Lewis County EMS Director; Dr. Robert Snuffer, Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital; James Gum, Lewis County Office of Emergency Management Director; Keith Talbert Jr., Lewis County Office of Emergency Management Assistant Director
Dr. Robert Snuffer, Emergency Room and Trauma Director at Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital and Medical Director for the Gilmer/Lewis/Upshur counties Emergency Medical Squads, has donated trauma response kits to local organizations that could save more than 200 people.
Dr. Snuffer began collecting materials to create the trauma response kits last fall. His goal was to ensure that first responders would be able to stop major bleeds on the scene of an emergency rather than waiting until they arrived at a medical facility. He has donated three fully equipped kits to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department, the Lewis County Emergency Medical Squad (EMS), and the Office of Emergency Management in Lewis County.
“Because of my military background, I have a good idea of the necessities our first responders would need to take care of multiple patients should there be a major emergency. I wanted to make sure they had the proper equipment to be able to do that,” said Dr. Snuffer.
Each kit includes tourniquets, emergency trauma dressings, junctional tourniquets, hemostatic gauzes, and more. Each kit will be able to save more than 50 people. With donations from community members, Dr. Snuffer was able to raise over $7,000 to create the kits.
“The primary objective is to prevent fatalities in critical emergencies. Hemorrhage stands as the leading preventable cause of death, and by effectively addressing bleeding, we can buy crucial time to transport victims to an emergency room, where they can receive optimal care,” he said.
Looking ahead, Dr. Snuffer envisions the integration of emergency response kits in public spaces throughout the community. This strategic initiative aims to ensure the availability of essential tools in the event of emergencies, serving as valuable aids while awaiting the arrival of EMS personnel to the scene.
“These kits can help so many people,” said Dr. Snuffer. “We can now respond to a mass causality to stop people from bleeding, and we have never had anything like that which bothered me, because if there was an emergency, we had no way to help them.”
Dr. Snuffer also conducts trainings on emergency trauma response for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) STOP THE BLEED® campaign, which raises awareness of basic actions to stop life threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies and man-made and natural disasters. If you are interested in these trainings, call Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital at (304) 269-8000 and leave a message for the Emergency Department.
To learn more about the ACS STOP THE BLEED® program, visit stopthebleed.org.
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