Schaefer Consulting

06/05/2026

It has been an incredible 3 days in Ft Lauderdale at the Eagles/FTFC Conference.
- We had another successful SPARC Academy teaching ARC to young, eager medics.
- Reconnected with my sweet Izzy and her family 3 years after a prehospital blood transfusion saved her life.
- Reconnected with another survivor, Dr. Kate Krause, and her sweet baby girl (see previous podcast post).
- Ended the day by receiving the “2026 Ron J. Anderson Distinguished Public Service Award” with two amazing, smart, passionate advocates for prehospital blood- Lt. Holly O'Byrne (DC Fire and EMS) and Chief Eric Bank (HCESD 48, TX).
It was a shock and an incredible honor to be recognized by the EMS Medical Directors from the major metropolitan cities in the US (and beyond).

06/05/2026

Kate, and her sweet baby girl, are the faces behind the data and stats.
Every minute matters when you are bleeding. Post-partum hemorrhage can happen weeks after an otherwise healthy delivery.
We keep pressing forward. 🚑🩸

https://www.ems1.com/whole-blood/blood-on-board-the-second-chance-that-changed-everything?fbclid=IwdGRjcASPGf9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEefIRJCiHBS5ZYSoiJS7-Z_vVST0X7IKIpTBjWEmSftIIY0wehDzDsjnS0OB0_aem_-dZnvnP9vXFLScOFnpMswQ

When Dr. Kate Krause suffered a near-fatal postpartum hemorrhage, Dallas Fire-Rescue's prehospital blood program helped give her a second chance at life, motherhood and medicine

05/31/2026

👍🏻👍🏻 for the Inaugural Handtevy
Innovation Symposium EMS World - Emergency Medical Services
in Austin. Panels, no slides, audience participation, and rapid fire sessions= a great day of learning!

05/28/2026

Yesterday, at the Handtevy Zero Margins event at EMS World - Emergency Medical Services Austin, I was asked how to make change. Yes- data is incredibly important, but don’t underestimate the value of a tactfully applied public shaming for dismissing an intervention without looking at the full impact. What do I mean by public shaming? The general public has no idea about your struggles. Most actually assume blood is already on your vehicles. Get the public informed and educated. The mainstream media has been a powerful tool in spreading awareness about prehospital blood program barriers (and success!).
Kudos to The Baltimore Sun for covering this event.

EMS Avenger

Somerset County first responders will be able to give whole blood to patients under a grant-funded program county officials approved

05/26/2026

Please check out the blog post done by Holly O’Byrne regarding TOWAR.
TOWAR reinforces similar findings of other papers. Time matters.
Use the blood products available to you that best meets the needs of your operating environment and budget.
Please don’t wait for LTOWB to become available in your area.
Reach out if you have any questions on building a system that gives the best opportunity for survival.

I am genuinely excited to see this study published. The author group brings an exceptional breadth of experience in transfusion medicine, trauma surgery, and prehospital resuscitation, and that expertise is evident throughout the work.

05/26/2026

Nice summary.

New research suggests emergency responders may have greater flexibility in using whole blood or component therapy for trauma patients with life-threatening bleeding before they reach the hospital.

In the multicenter TOWAR trial, researchers found no significant difference in 30-day mortality between patients who received low-titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) and those who received standard component therapy during prehospital transport.

Investigators also found similar outcomes with whole blood stored for up to 21 days.

The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, may help inform civilian and military prehospital transfusion practices.

Read more on the AABB Newsfeed: https://bit.ly/4uxmPNO

05/22/2026

"As someone who has been involved from the beginning, this is the single most gratifying tool we have received in my career. It's true, now that I have blood products on my truck, when I'm without it, it does add a level of subconscious stress."
EMS Blood Captain

Emergency responders across the country are exploring a tool once reserved almost exclusively for hospitals and battlefields: blood. Retired Army trauma nurse Randi Schaefer tells NCSL’s “Our American States” podcast that the push for prehospital blood—blood products administered at the inju...

05/21/2026

🎉
It was a pleasure to partner with Bruce to advance the use of prehospital blood in the TEMS setting.
Link to article:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41505037/

Bruce Tilson has spearheaded efforts to provide whole blood in Indianapolis, which includes his own regular donations.

05/19/2026

Updated link to the SWiFT Trail discussion hosted by THOR - Trauma Hemostasis & Oxygenation Research Network and Vitalant.

THOR and Vitalant are hosting this event on May 22 at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT for a journal club-style webinar examining the recently published SWiFT, Study of Whole Blood in Frontline Trauma, trial.