New collaboration links National Trauma Awareness Month, Stop the Bleed Month

Editor's Note

America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Stop the Bleed program have launched a national collaboration to strengthen trauma response and emergency preparedness, according to a May 30 announcement. The initiative connects public education in bleeding control with efforts to maintain a stable national blood supply.

The collaboration will begin with a series of events and training activities during May, which is National Trauma Awareness Month and, per ACS, National Stop the Bleed Month. ABC member centers will offer ACS Stop the Bleed courses, distribute co-branded training kits, and host local events. The ACS Stop the Bleed website now includes new content on blood donation and links to ABC member center locations.

According to the announcement, this partnership unites two critical components of trauma care: preparing bystanders to control bleeding before professional help arrives, and ensuring that blood is available for transfusion when needed. Hemorrhage remains the leading cause of death in trauma centers within the first hour after injury. Blood loss accounts for 80% of operating room deaths within 24 hours of trauma, and a single car accident victim may require up to 50 units of red blood cells. Gunshot victims, on average, need ten times more blood than other trauma patients.

The collaboration also supports a broader goal of sustaining the national blood supply. According to ABC, nearly 22% of U.S. blood donors are over age 65, prompting concerns about future availability. The ACS Stop the Bleed program reaches younger demographics—nearly 70% of course participants at Bloodworks Northwest, an ABC member center, were aged 16 to 24. Among these students, completing the training increased the likelihood of donating blood by 32% and encouraging others to donate by 24%.

The initiative also includes efforts to equip first responders with blood products for field transfusions. According to the announcement, ABC’s national network supplies nearly 60% of the US blood supply through more than 600 collection sites and serves over 3,500 hospitals and facilities across North America. The ACS Stop the Bleed program, developed by trauma and emergency response experts, is reportedly the largest global provider of bleeding control training and has supported both state and federal legislative initiatives.