LifeCare ambulances will carry blood for patients in rural counties
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – In a medical emergency, every minute is critical. That is especially true in rural areas where the trip from the scene to the hospital is usually longer.
Emergency Medical Services in Noxubee County will soon be able to carry blood for patients as needed.
“If you’re in Noxubee County, we want you to be able to have the same advantages as you would in the bigger city to provide advance resuscitation,” said Damon Darsey, the Medical Director for LifeCare EMS.
Emergency crews in rural areas are often faced with two critical challenges, time and distance.
“You know, being in some of these rural areas and stuff, you don’t have the access to the bigger hospitals and the capabilities that they have, so it’s sometimes a challenge,” said Brian Moore, a LifeCare paramedic in Noxubee County.
Since 2010, helicopters have been the only way for trauma patients to receive blood in rural counties in Mississippi, but now, LifeCare Ambulance Service has launched the RESCUE Program to change that.
Ambulances will be carrying their own blood supplies, possibly getting life-saving treatment started critical minutes faster.
“There is sometimes a delay when you have to get a helicopter due to weather and other factors that come into play there. We can get it started on the ground and just improve that patient’s overall outcome,” said Moore.
LifeCare has partnered with Mississippi Blood Services to provide necessary resources.
“Often times, we hear about blood needs after a disaster or after a hurricane or after a injury, but in reality, we need it every day. We need the ambulances every day to have this on board to be able to give it to patients,” said Darsey.
The RESCUE program is the first of its kind in the state of Mississippi.
LifeCare Ambulance Service vehicles will start carrying units of blood in Noxubee and Winston Counties in December.
If you would like to donate blood, you can visit Mississippi Blood Services (msblood.com) for more information.
