WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — Medical professionals are constantly stepping in and helping those in need. Sometimes, this can happen outside hospital walls.

We saw this in the shooting death of Ta’kiya Young, when an emergency room physician with OhioHealth happened to be walking out of Kroger around the same time Young was shot. The doctor immediately offered his assistance and rendered aid to the 21-year-old.

There are many times when doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers help people sick or injured outside of the hospital. Dr. Kevin Stiver, a cardiologist at OhioHealth, stepped into a life-threatening situation two years ago while on vacation in New York City.

A man had been pinned between two cars and his leg was bleeding profusely. “As a heart doctor my first instinct is to stop the bleeding, so I was able to find his femoral pulse, like right in your groin area, and I was able to compress the artery and got the bleeding to stop,” said Dr. Stiver.

The doctor later found out the man had severed an artery and would have died if he had not stepped in to help. Although it’s a completely different situation than how that ER doctor helped with Ta’kiya Young, Dr. Stiver said medical professionals do feel like it’s their duty to step in, even in the middle of a possible crime scene.

“My friends were like that could have been a crime and you just don’t really think about it at that time, you just think this is the line of work I’m in and I’m here to help,” said Dr. Stiver. The doctor said instinct kicks in, and healthcare professionals use the skills they have to help in whatever way possible.

“99 times out of 100 our expertise isn’t needed, it’s just there to kind of help reassure the situation is okay but every once in a while, it does happen where you do really get to provide help and help somebody out,” said Dr. Stiver.

Dr. Stiver said helping someone in a life-or-death situation can be scary, but when it happens you automatically step up to the plate.