Tidewater EMS Council Expands Whole Blood Program with $150K Grant

The new funding will double the daily supply of blood units carried by first responders across Hampton Roads.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:37am

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An extreme close-up X-ray photograph revealing the translucent, ghostly structures of a human hand holding a clear blood bag, conceptually illustrating the life-saving power of whole blood transfusions.An X-ray view of the critical role whole blood plays in saving lives at emergency scenes across Hampton Roads.Suffolk Today

The Tidewater EMS Council, a regional nonprofit, has received a $150,000 grant from the Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation to expand its Whole Blood Initiative. The program allows first responders to carry and administer whole blood at emergency scenes, which officials say is improving survival rates for critically injured patients. The new funding will double the daily supply of blood units deployed across the 26 jurisdictions in EMS Region 7, covering Hampton Roads and eastern Virginia.

Why it matters

Getting blood quickly to critically injured patients can be the difference between life and death. Before programs like this, many EMS crews could only provide IV fluids, which don't carry oxygen like whole blood. The Whole Blood Initiative has already seen a 73% survival rate for patients who receive a blood transfusion in the field, with that number jumping to 92% for those who survive the first 24 hours.

The details

The Whole Blood Initiative launched in October 2022 and is currently active in six jurisdictions: Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and York County. Specialized supervisor vehicles carry the blood units and respond to critical calls. With the new $150,000 grant, the Tidewater EMS Council plans to double the daily supply of blood units from 10 to 20 across the 26 jurisdictions in EMS Region 7. Since the program began, crews have transfused more than 500 units of blood in the field.

  • The Whole Blood Initiative launched in October 2022.
  • The Tidewater EMS Council received the $150,000 grant from the Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation last week.

The players

Tidewater EMS Council

A regional nonprofit that helps coordinate and improve emergency medical services in Hampton Roads and eastern Virginia.

Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation

The organization that provided the $150,000 grant to the Tidewater EMS Council to expand its Whole Blood Initiative.

David Long

The executive director of the Tidewater EMS Council.

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What they’re saying

“A lot of people affectionately refer to it as 'pasta water', and pasta water doesn't carry oxygen. So, it wasn't improving, you know, [a] patient's condition-- and some might say that it even harmed patients.”

— David Long, Executive Director, Tidewater EMS Council

“73% of the folks that we transfer... a unit of blood [to] survive to discharge. And if they survive the first 24 hours, that number jumps up to 92%.”

— David Long, Executive Director, Tidewater EMS Council

“What the research has indicated today is that that hour is now actually 30 minutes. The people that operate in that 30-minute space are EMS agencies, EMS providers. So, the work that our fire and EMS departments are doing is phenomenal... and more people are surviving as a result.”

— David Long, Executive Director, Tidewater EMS Council

What’s next

The Tidewater EMS Council is hosting a local blood drive on May 14 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside during the Tidewater Healthcare Expo to help sustain and expand the Whole Blood Initiative.

The takeaway

The Tidewater EMS Council's Whole Blood Initiative is a critical program that is saving lives by getting blood to critically injured patients faster than ever before. The new $150,000 grant will allow the program to double its daily supply of blood units, ensuring more people across Hampton Roads and eastern Virginia have access to this life-saving care.