Sanford Ambulance now administering whole blood
July 14, 2025
Contact:
Nathan Aamodt
Sanford Health Media Relations
(701) 200-6080/nathan.aamodt@sanfordhealth.org
FARGO, N.D. – Paramedics with Sanford Ambulance are now able to administer whole blood at the scene of serious injuries or en route to the hospital, providing critical care when rapid treatment is vital to saving lives.
“By starting a transfusion within minutes of injury, we can stabilize severely bleeding patients long before they reach the emergency room,” said Dr. Jason Van Valkenburg, Sanford Ambulance medical director.
Unlike traditional components like plasma or packed red blood cells, whole blood contains red cells, plasma and platelets, making it more effective in treating traumatic hemorrhage. This protocol mirrors the best practices used in military combat zones and is now being adopted in civilian emergency medicine across the country.
“Our mission is to provide the highest level of care possible. This innovation puts lifesaving blood in the hands of our paramedics, and that will make a real difference in outcomes for our patients,” said Tim Meyer, Sanford Ambulance senior director.
Medics won’t have time at accident scenes to crossmatch patients with blood supplies, so all of the units will be O-positive, which is safe for patients of any blood type. A supervisor will carry the blood to emergencies in a climate-controlled cooler, along with equipment to warm it for transfusion.
Sanford Ambulance plans to work with Vitalant to host blood drives and encourages people to support the program by donating blood. Sanford Ambulance will work closely with area hospitals to return any unused blood units so they can be used before they expire.
Nationally, trauma is the leading cause of death for individuals ages 1 to 45-years-old. An estimated 40 million emergency room visits in the United States annually come from trauma-related injuries.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
