06/17/26
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL EMS FIRST IN UNITED STATES TO RECEIVE LANDMARK ACCREDITATION FOR PRE-HOSPITAL BLOOD TRANSFUSION PROGRAM
Historic designation by AABB reinforces UH as national leader in EMS and critical care
June 17, 2026: University Hospital announced today that it has become the first emergency medical service (EMS) program in the United States to receive formal accreditation from the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) for its pre-hospital blood transfusion program, marking a major milestone in advancing emergency medical care and improving patient outcomes in the field.
The prestigious, inaugural accreditation recognizes University Hospital’s EMS, blood bank, and laboratory for meeting the highest quality and safety standards for blood transfusions outside of a traditional hospital setting. This achievement underscores the strong partnership and shared commitment to clinical excellence, innovation, and patient safety, which includes the use of whole blood for transfusions and availability of pre-hospital transfusions on both EMS ambulances and NJ State medical helicopters. The successful planning and implementation of this care initiative has already delivered meaningful, life-supporting benefits to the community, advancing patient care and improving outcomes in the pre-hospital environment.
“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,” said Carole Johnson, President and CEO of University Hospital, Newark. “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.”
Pre-hospital blood transfusion programs enable EMS clinicians to deliver life-saving blood transfusions to patients suffering from traumatic injuries, severe blood loss, and other critical conditions before they arrive at the hospital – dramatically improving survival rates in time-sensitive emergencies.
“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,” said Jason Brady, Executive Director of University Hospital EMS. “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, an international organization focused on improving health through standards in transfusion medicine and cellular therapies, awards accreditation only to programs that demonstrate strict compliance with evidence-based practices and quality systems. The first edition of the AABB Standards for Emergency Prehospital and Scheduled Out-of-Hospital Transfusions officially became effective on July 1, 2025. These are the first national standards developed specifically for EMS-based blood transfusion programs.
“Congratulations to University Hospital in Newark, N.J., for becoming the first organization to achieve AABB accreditation for Emergency Prehospital and Scheduled Out-of-Hospital Transfusions,” said Debra BenAvram, CEO of AABB. “AABB applauds the staff at University Hospital for their commitment to providing safe blood transfusions for trauma patients as soon as possible. AABB also appreciates University Hospital’s leadership in prehospital transfusion, an advancing area of health care that is saving lives by providing blood to patients in need at the point of injury.”
About University Hospital
University Hospital is the only state designated Level I Trauma Center for all of Northern New Jersey and the principal teaching hospital for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. University Hospital delivers comprehensive primary and specialty care, trauma and critical care, and community-based programs designed to improve health outcomes in Newark and across the New Jersey/New York region.
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