On December 15, 2025, Miller-Keystone Blood Center (MKBC), the City of Allentown, and the Allentown Bureau of EMS announced the launch of the City’s EMS Pre-Hospital Blood Program during a news conference at MKBC’s Hamilton Donor Center.

MKBC President & CEO Rami Nemeh thanked the City of Allentown for its leadership and partnership, calling the initiative a major advancement in patient care.

“Having blood available on ambulances to stabilize patients is a game changer,” Nemeh said, also recognized hospital partners St. Luke’s University Health Network, Geisinger, and Tower Health for their communication efforts to help advance the program.

“This initiative reflects MKBC’s mission to partner with our community to ensure a continuous supply of blood products and enhance care across the region,” he noted.

Allentown Mayor and dedicated blood donor, Matt Tuerk, described the collaborative process that brought the program to life. “Our EMS team identified a need, evaluated the data, solicited staff input, and proposed an innovative solution,” he said. “The final step was finding a partner who would show up, and that partner is Miller-Keystone Blood Center.”

Allentown Bureau of EMS Chief of Operations, Mehmet Barzev, MEMHS, NRP, emphasized the program’s lifesaving potential.

“This program is a significant advancement for our Bureau of EMS. It aims to improve patient outcomes by administering lifesaving blood products moments before a patient reaches the hospital, as administering blood before a patient reaches the hospital can mean the difference between life and death, especially for trauma patients.”

Barzev also thanked MKBC, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, our regional hospitals, City of Allentown EMS staff, and their mentors from the New Castle County Delaware Department of EMS for their collaboration and oversight throughout the program’s development.

“We hope that our program serves as a precursor for other EMS organizations in the region to consider implementing a similar program,” Barzev added.

MKBC Vice President of Operational Services, Hope Dorn, noted the extensive teamwork behind the effort.

“From training and logistics to inventory management and constant communication, the teamwork and dedication to this initiative cannot be overstated,” she said, also thanking MKBC’s blood donors whose generosity makes programs like this possible.

View the full news conference here.

For information on MKBC’s Pre-Hospital Blood Program, contact Hope Dorn.