Life-saving care just got closer to home for residents of Putnam County, Tennessee. As recently covered by WSMV News 4, Putnam County EMS is now one of around half a dozen counties in Tennessee equipped to administer blood transfusions in the field — before patients ever reach the hospital.
EMS vehicles are now outfitted with specialized, climate-controlled coolers and warmers to safely transport blood product, allowing paramedics to deliver transfusions right at a patient’s doorstep, driveway, or emergency scene. The program relies on a partnership with Blood Assurance for the blood supply, and runs approximately $25,000 per year covering the blood product, storage, and training. The APRU6L is being utilized as part of this program to ensure blood is kept at the precise temperatures required for safe field use.
The impact of this capability is real and proven. Putnam County’s EMS chief noted that in the past year alone, there were at least a couple of cases every month where earlier access to blood transfusions could have changed the outcome. A powerful reminder of why this matters: in 2024, a Brentwood mother survived a premature home delivery after paramedics administered a life-saving blood transfusion in the back of an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Be sure to check out the video from WSMV News 4 for the full story — it’s a compelling look at how this program is changing emergency medicine in Tennessee.
The momentum isn’t stopping in Putnam County, either. Several other Midstate counties are preparing to launch the same program, expanding this critical capability across the region.
📺 Watch the full story here: https://www.wsmv.com/2026/06/11/putnam-county-ems-now-equipped-give-blood-transfusions-field/