Pafford Medical Services has officially launched a Low Titer O Whole Blood (LTOWB) program across its western Oklahoma operations in partnership with Our Blood Institute and in collaboration with INTEGRIS Health and regional emergency response agencies, bringing life-saving blood directly to patients in the field.
Pafford Medical Services has officially launched a Low Titer O Whole Blood (LTOWB) program across its western Oklahoma operations in partnership with Our Blood Institute and in collaboration with INTEGRIS Health and regional emergency response agencies, bringing life-saving blood directly to patients in the field.
Through its role as the region’s primary blood provider, Our Blood Institute (OBI) has helped connect participating EMS agencies and hospital partners, further strengthening coordination and shared response across the system.
This collaborative effort represents a significant advancement in prehospital care, allowing critically injured or ill patients to receive whole-blood transfusions before arriving at the hospital, when minutes matter most. Patients requiring ongoing definitive care will be transported to regional trauma centers, like the INTEGRIS Health Trauma Center at INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center.
“This program is about getting the right care to the patient at the right time,” said David Macy, deputy director of Pafford’s western Oklahoma operations. “By working together across agencies and health care partners, we are enhancing our existing prehospital capabilities with the addition of whole blood, giving our teams another powerful tool to stabilize patients sooner and improve survival.”
Pafford Medical Services’ EMS providers have completed all necessary training and protocol development to support the program, including collaboration with clinical leadership and trauma specialists to ensure safe and effective implementation.
Whole blood programs have become an increasingly important component of modern EMS systems, particularly in rural and regional areas where transport times may be longer. By enabling early transfusion, providers can better manage hemorrhage, stabilize patients and improve survival outcomes.
“This is a true team effort,” Macy added. “It reflects what’s possible when EMS, hospitals and blood providers come together to strengthen the care we deliver and bring critical resources closer to the patient.”
To support programs like this, OBI is encouraging Type O donors to give regularly. These donors, known as Gold Donors, play a critical role in trauma care, helping supply low titer O whole blood, a specialized product that contains red cells, plasma and platelets and can be transfused quickly without crossmatching. This makes it especially valuable during the “golden hour,” the critical window after a traumatic injury when rapid treatment, such as blood transfusion, can save lives. By recognizing and engaging these donors, OBI helps ensure EMS providers like Pafford have access to the blood they need when every second counts.
The program is expected to benefit citizens in the communities Pafford serves across the western Oklahoma City Metro area, while also enhancing the ability to support surrounding areas through the coordinated delivery of whole blood when needed.
