Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) recently started a new blood transfusion program in Barrow County, ensuring patients can receive life-saving treatment before they even arrive at the hospital.
NGHS, which began operating Barrow County’s ambulance and emergency medical services in 2021, has equipped first responders with the ability to administer blood transfusions in the field – giving patients a greater chance of survival.
“Blood transfusions can be crucial in stabilizing patients who suffer from significant blood loss due to trauma, medical emergencies or other life-threatening conditions,” said Walter Wiley, executive director for Emergency, Trauma, Observation and EMS Services at NGHS. “By providing this service before patients reach the hospital, NGHS continues to set the standard for emergency care in the state.”
Of the more than 11,000 EMS agencies in the U.S. that provide traditional ambulance service to take patients to acute care hospitals, only about 1% carry blood. NGHS helped implement similar blood transfusion service on ambulances in Dawson, Habersham, Jackson, and White counties in 2020.
“Being able to provide blood transfusions before patients get to the hospital is a game changer for emergency care,” said Erick Giraldo, director for Emergency Medical Services at NGHS. “Our EMS team in Barrow County provided blood to a patient in an ambulance for the first time last week, while on the way to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville, and the patient’s blood pressure was dramatically improved by the time they arrived at the hospital.”