Schaefer Consulting

10/12/2026

See you in Detroit!

10/08/2026

When your agency reports wastage rates, what is it really reporting?

Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement need to be integrated into your prehospital blood program. We need to standardize terminology and definitions to move in the right direction.

When your prehospital agency reports blood product wastage rates, what is it really reporting? Yes. There is a difference between the two definitions.

10/06/2026

We need your help keeping it updated!
~460 ground agencies as of 30 September 2026.

I update it at the end of each month. The agencies that submitted their info for Oct will be on next month’s map.

The latest PHBTC map! Use the QR code on the right to add your agency. Let's get the map covered with those life-saving dots.

10/01/2026

Are you interested in publishing your prehospital research?

The THOR Supplemental in Transfusion Magazine is accepting submissions through November 20, 2026.

Link to information: https://mailchi.mp/edf572395899/announcement-of-joint-thor-and-vitalant-journal-club-the-swift-trial-results-10598254?e=6028628ccd

THOR - Trauma Hemostasis & Oxygenation Research Network
Prehospital Blood Transfusion Coalition

Submissions for the 2027 Trauma, Hemostasis, and Oxygenation Research (THOR) network supplement in Transfusion will be accepted from 16 August, 2026 through 20 November, 2026.

09/29/2026

Day 1 of EMS World Expo is a wrap. A great day of teaching 2 Preconference sessions: SPARC Academy and Beyond The Bag: The Essential Blueprint for Designing Running Prehospital Blood Programs.
It was a long day, but I always love hanging out my awesome colleagues and enjoy watching attendees walk away better informed!

Holly O'Byrne
Eric Bank
Juan Duchesne
Charlie Coyle

09/27/2026

The proposed 2nd edition of the AABB Emergency Prehospital and Scheduled Out-of-Hospital Standards is now out for comment until 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟰𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

The Committee has worked diligently to provide a framework to help Transfusion Administration Services (TAS) and Transfusion Services (TS) implement and sustain programs.

We need your feedback!

AABB provides the support, resources and connections you need to stay engaged, grow professionally and contribute to the ongoing advancement of the cord blood field.

09/26/2026

There are still a few seats available.

Start EMS World 2026 with a morning dedicated to improving prehospital trauma care.

Join the Selective Prehospital Advanced Resuscitative Care Workshop for a discussion on hemorrhage control, prehospital blood transfusion, and how trauma systems can prepare teams to deliver advanced resuscitative care in the field.

September 28 | 8:00 AM–12:00 PM | Room W-222A

09/24/2026

This case report offers important lessons about managing a complex scene, inter-agency support, and the use of prehospital blood.

If you don't think blood rotation matters, there is one sentence that highlights the importance of a hospital blood partner:
HERT Deployment to the scene of the accident: "𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗔-𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻."

Unfortunately, the outcome was not good for the patient, but the case offered many valuable lessons from a systems perspective.

Well done to the LA County Fire and EMS, Urban Search & Rescue (US&R), Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT), and the LA-DROP teams!

Prehospital blood programs and Hospital Emergency Response Teams (HERT) have independently emerged to address critical gaps in early trauma care, particularly when rapid transport is not feasible. ...

09/22/2026

Jehovah's Witnesses have made significant changes to their blood donation and blood transfusion practices. What does this mean for your agency?
- Review your current policies regarding religious objections to blood transfusions. It may need modification.
- Applies to component therapy only.
- Reach out to your JW community leadership to discuss any updates, if needed.
- As with all major organizations, it takes time for information to disseminate within their Membership.
- It is still the patient's (parent/guardians) individual decision to receive a prehospital blood transfusion.

Link to the JW website: https://www.jw.org/en/global-communications/country/global-news/Jehovahs-Witnesses-Each-Witness-Now-Decides-Whether-to-Accept-or-Donate-Main-Blood-Components/

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have announced a change to the group’s guidance on blood transfusion and donation.

Individual members may now decide whether to accept or donate allogeneic blood components, including red blood cells, white cells, plasma and platelets.

The update follows a March change allowing individual decisions on autologous blood collection, storage and transfusion. The organization’s longstanding prohibition of whole-blood transfusion remains unchanged.

Read more on the AABB Newsfeed: https://bit.ly/4xIpdlr

09/19/2026

Tune in to listen to 2 of my favorites share their journey of a hospital blood bank supporting prehospital agencies in rural North Carolina.

This session will address how to find the blood bank/center partner, help EMS agencies understand the different roles in banks/centers and provide advice on creating and sustaining a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with those who provide you with blood products. The basics of FDA and AABB b...