Medstar Paramedics recognized for first Whole Blood administration outside of hospital
Paramedics Recognized for First Whole Blood Use in Southeast Michigan
Healthcare leaders from across Macomb County gathered Friday to recognize a milestone in emergency medical care: the first successful prehospital whole blood transfusion delivered by EMS in Macomb County. The recognition honored the Medstar clinicians whose actions on February 16 helped stabilize a critically ill patient before arrival at the hospital and highlighted a program nearly three years in the making.
Medstar paramedic Joe McHardy, paramedic supervisor Frank Simone, and EMT LeAnn Berlin were recognized for their care of a patient suffering from acute abdominal bleeding. When EMS arrived, the patient was pale, cool, and clammy with vital signs indicating severe shock. After quickly assessing the patient, paramedic McHardy requested a whole blood response. Paramedic supervisor Simone arrived on scene minutes later carrying the blood supply and immediately initiated a transfusion.
By the time the patient arrived at the hospital, her condition had improved significantly. Her vital signs had stabilized, her shock index had decreased by nearly 50 percent, and her level of consciousness had returned to normal.
“We have been supportive of Medstar’s whole blood initiative and the protocol development from the outset, recognizing the significant impact it can have for patients in the prehospital setting,” Dr. Anthony Colucci, Medical Director for the Henry Ford Macomb Emergency Department, said. “This administration of whole blood demonstrates how critical that capability is, not only for trauma patients but for medical patients suffering severe shock. It is an honor to be part of such an important advancement in Macomb County and to know we are among a small but growing number of EMS systems in the country bringing this level of care directly to patients.”
Debbie Condino, Executive Director of the Macomb County EMS Medical Control Authority, said the moment reflects years of work and commitment to advancing patient care in the county.
“I’m proud to be here recognizing the EMS team who provided this groundbreaking care for the first patient,” Condino said. “I’m equally proud to have worked alongside Medstar to bring this three-year project through the planning stages, the investment, the training, and now into real patient care in our county. Seeing their commitment and dedication, and how the work come together to deliver leading-edge treatment to someone who needed it most is truly inspiring.”
Medstar CEO Kolby Miller presented plaques to paramedics McHardy and Simone in recognition of their clinical leadership during the response. Recognition pins were also presented to EMT LeAnn Berlin, Medstar Whole Blood Coordinator Lori Peterson and Clinical Quality Manager Tom Barry, and Henry Ford Macomb Director of Emergency Services and Macomb County Medical Control Authority Board Member Kristin Slatkin for their roles in developing and implementing the program.
Condino also presented certificates of recognition from the Medical Control Authority to the EMTs and paramedics involved in the response, recognizing their clinical judgment, rapid coordination, and the successful delivery of the first prehospital whole blood transfusion in Macomb County.
The milestone represents the culmination of more than three years of work by Medstar clinical leaders in partnership with the Macomb County EMS Medical Control Authority. Developing the program required extensive protocol research and presentation, training, equipment acquisition, and regulatory coordination to ensure blood could be safely carried, stored, and administered in the prehospital environment.
The Macomb County EMS Medical Control Authority was the first oversight body in the region to adopt an EMS Whole Blood Protocol, and Medstar is currently the only EMS agency in Southeast Michigan providing blood and blood products to patients before they reach the hospital. The program places hospital-level resuscitation directly into the hands of paramedics during the earliest and often most critical phase of care, allowing continued care to begin sooner when the patient arrives at the hospital. Medstar has committed to respond to requests from any EMS agency in Macomb County if they are treating a patient who needs whole blood and accompany the patient with the other agency to the hospital while blood is administered.
In December, Medstar hosted more than 150 clinical leaders, physicians, and EMS executives from across the Midwest and around the country for a Whole Blood Summit in Detroit. The meeting brought together hospitals, health systems, and EMS agencies to discuss how prehospital blood programs are developed and to share operational and clinical lessons learned from agencies that have already implemented them.
As additional EMS systems across the country begin adopting similar programs, the work underway in Macomb County demonstrates how coordinated partnerships between EMS, hospitals, and medical oversight can bring advanced clinical care directly to patients in their communities, often when minutes make the difference between life and death.
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Photo attachment 1: (L to R) Paramedic Supervisor Frank Simone, Clinical Quality Manager Tom Barry, Whole Blood Coordinator Lori Peterson, Paramedic Joe McHardy, EMT LeeAnn Berlin
Photo Attachment 2: (L to R) Macomb MCA Director Debbie Condino, Paramedic Frank Simone, Paramedic Joe McHardy, Whole Blood Coordinator Lori Peterson, EMT LeeAnn Berlin, Clinical Manager Tom Barry, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital Emergency Services Director Kristin Slatkin, Henry Ford Health Community Services CEO David Shephard.
