Photo By Cameron Parks | U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Niquanna Perez, left, deputy director of the Armed Services Blood...... read more read more
The Operational Medical Systems Program Management Office is known for its support of America’s warfighters. The key to the team’s success is summed up in one word: delivery.
OPMED PMO, part of the Defense Health Agency, is the go-to element within the Department of Defense for developing, acquiring, and delivering world-class treatment solutions for the U.S. joint force while leveraging its reputation as the heart of modernized frontline medical support.
Recently, OPMED’s Warfighter Protection and Acute Care team members made good on years of effort in blood product development, delivering to meet the unique needs of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. WRNMMC, the nation’s flagship military medical center, is also known as “the President’s Hospital,” thanks to its longstanding tradition of caring for members of the Executive Branch.
Working with industry partner Octapharma and several DOD partners – including the Armed Services Blood Program; Medical Readiness Command, Europe; U.S. European and Africa Commands; Andrews Medical Support Squadron at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland; and the Armed Services Blood Bank Center – WPAC coordinated and facilitated the procurement and delivery of freeze-dried plasma (FDP) for inclusion in Walter Reed’s medical supply.
FDP is a lifesaving treatment option for blood replacement therapies in operational and tactical environments. Octapharma and WPAC collaborated to obtain Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization approval for the FDP known as octaplasLG Powder in August 2024. The EUA authorizes military procurement, storage, and use of octaplasLG Powder when no other FDA-approved treatments, like fresh frozen plasma, are available, or when the use of traditional plasma is not practical in a compressed time continuum during some military operations, according to Kendra Lawrence, Ph.D., WPAC’s project manager.
“The FDP program is our highest priority and is delivering a transformative medical solution to meet the needs of our military end users: the medical providers on the front lines,” said Lawrence. “To be able to collaborate with the Armed Services Blood Program and Armed Services Blood Bank Center to provide this critical capability at the highest levels of the U.S. government is a testament to the importance of FDP in critical care situations when no other alternative is available.”
Last month, the WPAC team, along with representatives from Octapharma, provided training to key WRNMMC medical staff on the reconstitution and safe use of FDP during emergency treatment. Lawrence said the training event was well received, and the medical staff has indicated a need for continued training for both current and new personnel.
WPAC has a wide portfolio, and its product managers develop, test, field, and sustain innovative medical solutions to address high-priority capability gaps for DOD medical providers in clinical and deployed environments. FDP is a notable recent success with broad applicability in both military and civilian health care, according to Andy Atkinson, the FDP product manager with WPAC.
“FDP is a shelf-stable blood product that was developed with the military end user in mind – it is specifically designed to be used during an emergency involving agents of military combat,” said Atkinson. “Our goal was to develop and acquire a capability that fills a critical gap in combat casualty care for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and special forces communities.
“Providing this treatment to the expert providers at ‘the President’s Hospital’ is a unique and very important step in the project’s development, and we are honored to have helped play a role,” he added.
Walter Reed General Hospital opened in 1909 and tended to numerous U.S. presidents and injured service members in Washington, D.C. In 2011, the Army hospital was merged with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to form the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In addition to providing medical evaluation and treatment to presidents, members of Congress, and other high-ranking officials, Walter Reed provides health care for our nation’s fighting forces, retirees, and their families.
About OPMED
OPMED is the DOD’s leading force in medical development and acquisition, focused on enhancing warfighter lethality and readiness. Project managers with the team develop and deliver next-generation, world-class medical capabilities that empower combatant commanders for large scale combat operations, particularly within austere environments, with a twofold mission: save lives on the battlefield and swiftly return injured service members to duty.
Citations of commercial organizations or trade names do not constitute an official Department of Defense endorsement or approval of the products or services of these organizations.
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2025 11:30 |
| Story ID: | 545410 |
| Location: | FORT DETRICK, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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