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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 10 2024

Contact: Jon Ebelt, Communications Director, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757
jebelt@mt.gov

Montana State Trauma Care Committee Receives National 2024 Peregrine Award for Lifesaving Blood “Hand-Off” System

Montana Interfacility Blood Network provides rapid care to severely bleeding trauma victims in remote areas

The Montana State Trauma Care Committee (MT-STCC) will be honored with the prestigious 2024 Peregrine Award for Trauma Innovation during a virtual awards ceremony on May 15.

The MT-STCC was chosen for the nationwide award in conjunction with the committee’s conceptualization and implementation of the Montana Interfacility Blood Network (MT-IBN). The network launched in April 2022, linking existing hospitals personnel transporting trauma patients through the area.

This unparalleled project utilizes intermediary facilities to “hand-off” lifesaving blood to transporting personnel on their way to definitive care, giving trauma patients in rural areas access to blood supplies during long emergency transports.

“This innovative program has revolutionized how we deliver critical care across our frontier communities,” said Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton.

The MT-STCC is a 15-member committee appointed by Governor Greg Gianforte to serve as an advisory committee to DPHHS.

Alyssa Johnson, the Trauma System Manager for the DPHHS is among the committee members and will accept the award on its behalf.

Montana encompasses more than 147,000 square miles with an average population of approximately seven people per square mile. This vast area is punctuated by pockets of health care availability with varying access to blood products for transfusion.

Furthermore, timely transport is frequently challenged by weather that may limit air transportation options, resulting in multiple hours in ground transport to definitive care.

Massive hemorrhage remains a major cause of preventable death in trauma cases. Of these deaths, 33 percent to 56 percent occur in the prehospital period. Hemorrhage is responsible for 30 percent to 40 percent of trauma mortality. Studies have demonstrated that rural residents are 14 percent more likely to die from traumatic injury compared to non-rural residents.

The MT-IBN ensures blood availability in geographically distanced cases where the patient may otherwise not survive. Through this novel interfacility blood network, dozens of unaffiliated hospital systems and small critical access facilities are able to share blood without the patient having to stop for care at the intermediary facility.

When people donate blood, they contribute to the supply the IBN can access through hospitals across the state. There is currently a massive blood shortage across the nation due to a lack of donations, and blood is desperately needed for all medical patients.

The Red Cross and Vitalant are the two suppliers of blood in Montana. To see the locations of the hospitals where the MT-IBN can access blood products, as well as which supplier provides blood to each hospital, visit BloodSiteMap.pdf (mt.gov)

"The MT-IBN project is a result of incredibly collaborative work across the state,” said Gordon Riha, MD FACS, assistant trauma medical director at Billings Clinic Level 1 Trauma Center. “This initiative is uniquely Montana at its core, as it will provide life-saving blood products for those who live in rural regions of Montana. There is no doubt this concept will save countless lives in areas of limited blood availability.”

The Peregrine Award for Trauma Innovation honors trauma teams that excel in resourcefulness and creative thinking to develop fresh ideas that result in better care for injured patients. The award, administered by Peregrine Health Services, will be accompanied by a $2,500 grant for the MT-STCC to utilize for program needs.

“Being selected for the 2024 Peregrine Trauma Innovation award is an incredible honor and validates the work carried out by the State Trauma Care Committee in creating the Montana Interfacility Blood Network,” says Johnson. “We are immensely proud to be recognized on a national level for our efforts to overcome the unique challenges of trauma care in rural America.”

To learn more about MT-IBN, visit Education and Resources (mt.gov). Details regarding the MT-STCC can be found at Boards - View (mt.gov).