AtlantiCare EMS Expands Whole Blood Treatment on Mobile Intensive Care Units Across Southeastern New Jersey
AtlantiCare
Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
AtlantiCare EMS has expanded its trauma care capabilities by launching a Ground Whole Blood Program, allowing paramedics to administer whole blood transfusions directly at emergency scenes. This advancement addresses severe hemorrhage — the leading preventable cause of death after trauma — by beginning life‑saving blood replacement within minutes rather than waiting for hospital arrival. Whole blood is now carried on AtlantiCare’s Mobile Intensive Care Units, making it the only EMS provider in southeastern New Jersey offering this critical prehospital intervention.
“We are not simply transporting patients to the hospital,” said Steve Napoli, assistant vice president and chief of EMS for AtlantiCare. “We are initiating hospital level resuscitation at the scene. For someone experiencing severe blood loss, that earlier intervention can dramatically improve the likelihood of survival.”
Research shows that early blood administration increases survival and reduces the number of transfusions needed later — potentially saving thousands of lives nationwide each year. Implementing the program required extensive planning, training and investment, including education for more than 100 paramedics and deployment of specialized refrigeration and monitoring systems.