Published on August 05, 2025
Owensboro Health and DCPS Partner to Host Life-Saving Trauma Training
Owensboro, KY — August 5, 2025 — Owensboro Health Trauma Services and Daviess County Public Schools (DCPS) partnered to hold a joint Stop the Bleed training event for the DCPS Transportation Department this morning, Tuesday, August 5, at 9 a.m. at the Daviess County Middle School Cafeteria.
The hands-on training provided approximately 150 bus drivers and monitors with critical skills to control life-threatening bleeding in emergency situations. From motor vehicle collisions to injuries that happen onboard, transportation staff are often the first to respond when seconds matter most.
“Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one preventable cause of death after trauma,” said Hannah Blanton, BSN, RN, TCRN, Owensboro Health Trauma Injury Prevention and Community Outreach Coordinator. “Knowing that the DCPS transportation team is now equipped with both knowledge and tools to bridge the gap before EMS arrives is truly humbling. This collaboration is about saving lives.”
Blanton led the training with support from a multidisciplinary team that included:
- Trauma experts from Owensboro Health
- AirEvac flight paramedics and nurses
- EMS professionals from Daviess and McLean Counties
- HealthForce Kentucky
This effort was part of a broader trauma prevention strategy led by Owensboro Health and funded in part by the Owensboro Health Foundation. Each staff member left the training with certification and a personal trauma kit, including a CAT tourniquet, trauma shears and pen.
Wendi Kozel, DCPS District Health Coordinator, said the collaboration underscored a shared commitment to safety. “Our bus drivers are responsible for the lives of our students every day. Providing this training gave them the tools and confidence to act quickly when it matters most.”
The program built on previous training sessions and is expanding this fall to include DCPS Emergency Response Teams and all AED-equipped areas across the district. A similar training was recently delivered to McLean County’s Transportation Department.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; four outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.