NEWARK, N.J. — University Hospital has become the first EMS program in the United States to receive formal accreditation from the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies for its prehospital blood transfusion program, according to hospital officials.
Hospital officials said in a press release that the accreditation marks a major milestone in advancing emergency medical care and improving patient outcomes before patients reach the hospital.
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The accreditation recognizes University Hospital’s EMS, blood bank and laboratory for meeting high safety and quality standards for prehospital blood transfusions, including whole blood carried on ambulances and New Jersey medical helicopters.
“University Hospital is proud to be the first-in-the-nation with a nationally recognized program for initiating blood transfusions in the field — extending our world-class trauma care even further into the community and dramatically expanding our opportunities to save lives and reduce poor outcomes,” University Hospital President and CEO Carole Johnson said. “Today’s announcement marks an important recognition for our EMS, lab, blood bank, and trauma teams who are consistently working together to deploy all available assets to give our patients the best possible care and the strongest opportunity to survive and thrive.”
“We are honored to be the first pre-hospital blood transfusion program in the country to achieve this important milestone, demonstrating what’s possible when innovation and clinical excellence come together with a shared purpose,” University Hospital Executive Director Jason Brady said. “This accreditation is a testament to the seamless collaboration between the hospital, blood bank, laboratory, and EMS teams and confirms that our community is receiving world-class, lifesaving care the moment our paramedics arrive on the scene.”
AABB accredits programs that meet evidence-based transfusion medicine standards and quality systems. The first national standards for EMS-based blood transfusion programs took effect July 1, 2025.
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