City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services Celebrates the Formal Launch of Whole Blood in the Field
The collaborative program—a partnership between the City, UPMC, and Vitalant—provides a major life-saving benefit to our city
Pittsburgh, PA –The City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is proud to announce the launch of whole blood in the field being deployed by paramedics across the city of Pittsburgh. This cooperative program is a joint effort between Pittsburgh EMS, UPMC prehospital services, and Vitalant and sees whole blood being administered directly to patients in the field.
Pittsburgh EMS led the way in Pennsylvania by launching a pilot program in 2022 that paired paramedics with prehospital physicians to transfuse blood to patients in the field and save lives right at the scene.
After a 2024 state Department of Health change in prehospital protocols—written by the Pittsburgh-led team—, highly trained paramedics on EMS units throughout Pennsylvania are now permitted to carry and administer blood, without the need to have a physician present.
On September 15, 2025, after a year of finalizing contracts and formalizing program procedures, Pittsburgh EMS deployed its first whole blood units onto Rescue 2. This week, blood was also deployed to Rescue 1.
”In Pittsburgh, we innovate to bring care directly to the patient. The deep partnerships we share make that possible and serve as the lifeline.” said Dr. Lenny Weiss, City of Pittsburgh Medical Director and UPMC Emergency and EMS Physician.
Pittsburgh EMS has been picking up whole blood over the past couple of years from UPMC Mercy and UPMC Presbyterian to administer to patients entrapped in hazardous scenarios—through the Rescue Medicine program. From 2022-2024, blood was administered fifteen times as part of this program.
With blood now on medic units and credentialed paramedics now able to administer it on their own, EMS will be able to get it to additional patients much more quickly. This year alone, blood has been administered nine times—to patients beyond those entrapped, including those with medical bleeding.
Pittsburgh has continued to pioneer the way prehospital care is delivered to its residents and the whole blood in the field program only widens our reach to patients in need across the city. However, severe blood loss remains the leading cause of preventable deaths among victims of trauma. Blood donors play a key role in preventing these deaths.
“This program highlights the constant and vital need for blood donors,” Frances Scher, Vitalant Director of Transfusion Services said. “When seconds count, it’s the blood already donated that helps save lives. Vitalant urges everyone who is eligible to donate blood regularly and help ensure every patient need can be met whenever and wherever it arises, in a hospital or at an accident scene.”
Pittsburgh EMS remains eternally grateful to our partners at UPMC and Vitalant for making this lifesaving program possible and remains committed through cutting-edge advancements to ensuring all patients have the greatest possible chance of survival.
Vitalant (Vye-TAL-ent) is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations, providing hospitals and patients across the U.S. a safe blood supply, specialized laboratory services, transfusion medicine expertise and world-renowned research. Individuals generously donating blood, volunteering and giving financially are essential to our lifesaving mission. Learn more at vitalant.org.
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