Lt. Col. Reynold Henry of the 55th Medical Group has brought battlefield innovation to Omaha’s ambulances: prehospital whole blood transfusions. (Read more)
At the heart of this breakthrough is the DDT Autonomous Portable Refrigeration Unit (APRU), which keeps blood safely stored under rigorous standards. This technology allows four Omaha ambulances to carry O-negative blood—ready for transfusion within the critical first 15 minutes after injury.
The program launched June 30, 2025, and was used just days later to save a gunshot victim. Since then, it has already helped multiple patients, showing immediate impact.
Henry estimates that, had this capability existed over the last five years, 150 more lives could have been saved.
The next step? Ensuring a steady blood supply. As Henry says, “we need blood to give people blood.”