Mid-America Transplant Begins Drone Blood Sample Deliveries

Organ procurement organization first in nation to use drones for donor blood transport

Apr. 2, 2026 at 2:35pm

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Mid-America Transplant, an organ procurement organization serving the Springfield, Missouri area, has become the first in the nation to receive FAA approval to use drones to transport donor blood samples from organ donors to St. Louis for medical testing and transplant suitability evaluation.

Why it matters

The use of drones for this critical medical transport function has the potential to significantly reduce delivery times and increase the efficiency of the organ donation process, ultimately saving more lives. This innovative approach highlights Missouri's leadership in leveraging new technologies to improve healthcare outcomes.

The details

For many years, Mid-America Transplant has used fixed-wing aircraft to transport blood samples from organ donors in the Springfield area to St. Louis for testing. Now, with FAA approval, the organization will begin using a drone with an 8-foot wingspan to make these deliveries, which are a crucial step in determining a donor's medical suitability for transplantation.

  • Mid-America Transplant has been using fixed-wing aircraft for this purpose for many years.
  • The organization recently received FAA approval to begin drone test flights for blood sample transport.

The players

Mid-America Transplant

An organ procurement organization serving the Springfield, Missouri area that has become the first in the nation to receive FAA approval to use drones for transporting donor blood samples.

Kevin Lee

President and CEO of Mid-America Transplant, who discussed the organization's new drone transportation program with KMOX radio.

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What they’re saying

“For many years they have been serving the Springfield Missouri area. After receiving permission from a family, a blood sample is taken from the loved one and it's sent to Saint Louis to test blood for medical suitability for donation in transplant.”

— Kevin Lee, President and CEO, Mid-America Transplant

What’s next

Mid-America Transplant will begin conducting test flights with the drone to transport blood samples from Springfield to St. Louis in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

This innovative use of drone technology by Mid-America Transplant has the potential to significantly streamline the organ donation process and save more lives in Missouri and beyond, demonstrating the state's leadership in leveraging emerging technologies to improve critical healthcare services.