Saint Francis Hospital Partners with Enfield EMS for Whole Blood Program
February 3, 2025HARTFORD, Conn. – Saint Francis Hospital and Enfield Emergency Medical Services are pleased to announce the launch of a collaborative Whole Blood Program, allowing whole blood to be administered to a trauma patient while still at the scene of an emergency or while in transport to the hospital. Enfield EMS is now one of 200 EMS agencies in the country and just the fourth in New England to establish a program to treat patients suffering from life threatening blood loss. Enfield EMS joins the less than 1 percent of ground EMS agencies in the United States that have the capability to administer blood in the field.
The partnership with Enfield EMS is the third partnership between Saint Francis and a local EMS service to provide whole blood in the field.
Saint Francis, a Level I Trauma Center, first partnered with American Medical Response (AMR) in August 2020, establishing the first Whole Blood Program in New England, and expanded the service by partnering with Granby Ambulance Association in March 2021.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Enfield EMS to bring this lifesaving service to the community,” said John Pettini, DO, FACEP, EMS Medical Director, Saint Francis Hospital. “In critical medical emergencies or traumatic situations, every second counts. The ability to administer warmed, whole blood at the scene can greatly enhance survival outcomes and improve recovery for patients.”
Low titer type O-whole blood is stored between 2-6 degrees Celsius in a specialty cooler in the Enfield EMS station. A compact, portable, battery-operated blood warming system, including state-of-the-art blood tubing, warms the blood to 100 degrees Fahrenheit for administration to patients. Both medical and traumatic blood loss patients are eligible to receive this care. This is similar technology used by military operations globally, and follows the same principles used in the hospital.
Whole blood is made up of several components, including plasma, platelets, and packed red blood cells. Currently the separate components are carried and administered by a small number of emergency responders. Standard practice for these responders utilizes a 1:1:1 ratio of each component. Research, however, has identified whole blood, which already contains the necessary clotting factors and platelets, as a preferred treatment for patients experiencing some type of severe blood loss.
“In the field, we know that patients who have suffered massive blood loss will have the best outcome if they receive a blood transfusion quickly,” said Erin Riggott, Chief Paramedic, Enfield EMS. “It is an honor to work with the team at Saint Francis Hospital to be able to provide this level of care to Enfield and our surrounding communities.”
Since initiating the Whole Blood Program in 2020, over 200 transfusions have taken place in the field between AMR and Granby Ambulance Association. Whole blood has been administered for patients following a major trauma, such as a car accident, or due to medical necessity, such as hemorrhagic shock. The Saint Francis Blood Bank plays a crucial part of the Whole Blood Program, managing the distribution, tracking, and rotation of whole blood product in coordination with the EMS programs.