St. Luke\u2019s Emergency and Transport Service (SLETS) is now able to carry whole blood on its specialized critical care transport (CCT) ambulances.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Critical Care Transport teams comprised of an experienced critical care pre-hospital registered nurse, a critical care paramedic and our highly trained EMTs are a natural fit to provide this service,\u201d Chris Zukowski, BSN, RN, of St. Luke\u2019s Emergency and Transport Services, said. \u201cHaving whole blood will be another tool that our team can use to save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s SLETS CCT whole blood program follows a recent update by the Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services to its Advanced Life Support Protocols. The update allows paramedics throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are specially trained, credentialled and approved by their local EMS Council’s Medical Advisory Committee to carry blood and\/or blood products in their ambulances.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith whole blood readily available on the Network\u2019s SLETS CCT ambulances, this allows the nurses and paramedics on the CCT team to quickly stabilize critically ill or injured patients who are suffering from hemorrhagic shock,\u201d Zukowski explained.<\/p>\n
Whole blood is valued by EMS teams because all of its components \u2013 red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma \u2013 are present. The first and most common use is for patients involved in traumatic-related incidents causing massive blood loss.<\/p>\n
The CCT ambulances primarily transport patients between St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network hospitals.<\/p>\n
About St. Luke\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872,\u00a0St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites.\u00a0 With annual net revenue of $3.4 billion, the Network\u2019s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke\u2019s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke\u2019s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.\u00a0 In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus.\u00a0 It also operates the nation\u2019s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 52 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 500 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, opened the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.<\/p>\n SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare\u2019s\u00a0five-star<\/em>\u00a0ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.\u00a0 It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades\u00a0Top Hospital<\/em>\u00a0and a Newsweek World\u2019s\u00a0Best Hospital<\/em>.\u00a0 The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the\u00a0100 Top Major Teaching Hospital<\/em>\u00a0designation from Fortune\/PINC AI 10 years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.\u00a0 In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was identified as one of the\u00a015 Top Health Systems<\/em>\u00a0nationally.\u00a0 Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the\u00a0Most Wired<\/em>\u00a0award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. \u00a0The Network is also recognized as one of the state\u2019s lowest-cost providers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: St. Luke\u2019s Emergency and Transport Service (SLETS) is now able to carry whole blood on its specialized critical care transport (CCT) ambulances. \u201cOur Critical Care Transport teams comprised of an … Continue reading St. Luke\u2019s Emergency and Transport Service Are First Ground EMS in Region to Stock Whole Blood on Ambulances<\/span>
\nSam Kennedy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"