Trauma patients in parts of Hillsborough County could soon receive lifesaving blood transfusions within minutes of a 911 call under what Tampa General Hospital says is the nation's first emergency medical drone delivery program for whole blood.
The program, announced in a statement by Tampa General on Monday, would use drones to transport units of whole blood directly to first responders treating patients with severe blood loss at emergency scenes.
Unlike the separated blood components commonly used in hospitals, whole blood contains red blood cells, plasma and platelets, enabling first responders to replace what trauma patients are losing with a single transfusion.
Tampa General is partnering with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, the University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine, OneBlood and Archer First Response Systems on the effort.
When dispatchers identify a 911 call involving life-threatening bleeding, firefighters responding to the scene can simultaneously request a drone carrying whole blood. The drones would fly from two Hillsborough fire stations, delivering blood to first responders in an average of less than three minutes across a combined 70-square-mile service area.
That would allow paramedics to begin transfusions before patients reach the hospital, a step that trauma physicians say can significantly improve survival.
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"In traumas with hemorrhaging, every minute matters," Dr. Jason Wilson, chief of emergency medicine at TGH and founding chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Morsani College of Medicine, said in the statement. "Faster access to whole blood is a major predictor of a patient's likelihood of survival."
Chief Todd Carnell of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue called the program "a game changer" for emergency crews.
"Our crews are often first at the scene of an accident," Carnell said in the statement. "This program puts an essential, lifesaving resource directly in our hands at the scene, giving our first responders more tools to improve the chances of survival of a patient in crisis."
The pilot program would operate from Fire Rescue Station 9 near Faulkenburg Road and Sabal Park and Station 37 in Riverview, areas officials say have the county's highest volume of penetrating trauma and severe bleeding injuries.
The drone system is expected to begin operating in October, pending approval by the Hillsborough County Commission. Commissioners are scheduled to consider the proposal Sept. 2.
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The announcement is the latest example of health systems turning to drones to speed patient care.
Cleveland Clinic in Ohio recently launched what it says is the first long-term drone delivery program for medications, with plans to eventually move lab samples, specialized meals and medical supplies. The program delivers eligible prescriptions at no additional cost in a 5-mile radius of the health system's campus in suburban Beachwood.
That's similar to what BayCare Health Systems in the Tampa Bay area has planned.
Last month, BayCare said it would begin the region's first healthcare drone delivery network in late 2027. That program will initially transport prescriptions and medical supplies to patients' homes in Pinellas County before expanding into Hillsborough County.
Cleveland Clinic and BayCare are designing their systems for routine deliveries rather than trauma care. Both are partnering with the drone company Zipline.
In a Monday statement, Cleveland Clinic did not say whether would it would expand the drone service to any of its Florida hospital locations.
