PHOTO: (left to right): Lt. Marco Gonzalez, Gordon Center; Dr. Ivette Motola, Gordon Center; Vincent Torres, UHealth/Miller Medical School Emergency Management, and South Florida Health Coalition; Security Officer Tyreke Spann, UM Public Safety; Al Brotons, Gordon Center; Michael Ung, Gordon Center; and Jose Pereda, Gordon Center
February 26, 2021 – On Thursday, February 25, Security Officer Tyreke Spann was recognized for his quick action in saving the life of another while on duty. Representatives from the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education, UM Emergency Management and Campus Safety, and the South Florida Health Coalition were on hand to present Spann with the “2021 Life Saving Award.”
When Spann completed the STOP THE BLEED® course at the Gordon Center in November, he had no idea that he would soon use those skills weeks later to save someone’s life. While on duty, Spann came across an injured man lying on the ground at the UM/Jackson Medical Campus. Upon inspection, Spann realized the man had been shot several times. Spann called for backup and immediately executed what he had learned from the STOP THE BLEED® training: apply pressure to the injuries, pack wounds to control bleeding, and correctly apply tourniquets. The victim was then taken quickly to Ryder Trauma Center and is now slowly recovering from his injuries.
“This is why we do what we do,” said Angel “Al” Brotons, EMT-P, Associate Director for Operations and Instructor Development at the Gordon Center. “Thanks to Officer Spann’s quick thinking and actions, the injured man is alive today. This is the Gordon Center’s mission in action – saving lives through simulation, innovation, and education. Seeing the positive outcome of this situation is affirmation of that.”
About the Gordon Center:
As the world’s leading center for healthcare simulation education and research, the Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education mission is to improve the training of health professionals, thereby enhancing patient outcomes and saving lives. Founded over 45 years ago, the Gordon Center – a University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Center of Excellence – develops, implements, and disseminates curricula, training programs and simulation technologies for educators, multi-professional clinical providers, and first responders worldwide.
