Carilion Clinic First in Virginia to Offer Needle-free In-patient Blood Draws, Redefining Patient Standard of Care

ROANOKE, Va. and FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carilion Clinic, a not-for-profit health care organization serving more than 1 million people in Virginia, in partnership with BD, (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced that Carilion is the first health system in the state and the Southeastern U.S. to provide its patients needle-free blood draws using the BD® PIVO™ Pro Needle-free Blood Collection Device. This initiative is part of Carilion's commitment to patient-centered care, delivering on the vision of a "One-Stick Patient Experience" by reducing multiple needlesticks while improving the quality of care.

The advanced PIVO™ Pro Technology allows clinicians to use a patient's existing peripheral IV catheter line for blood draws, leading to fewer needlesticks and less pain and anxiety for many patients. It also reduces the risk of needlestick injuries and streamlines clinical workflows, minimizing traditional IV and blood collection complications that result in redraws and potential delays in patient care.^1,2

"We are excited to be the first in Virginia to implement this novel needle-free blood draw technology, marking a significant improvement in our vascular access practices and enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction," said Tami Frost, MSN, RN, CENP and chief nursing officer at Carilion. "By streamlining blood draws through our new specialty vascular access team, we will save our bedside nurses valuable time, allowing them to focus on other critical aspects of patient care."

Traditional blood draws by venipuncture are one of the most common hospital procedures, affecting nearly every hospitalized patient daily.³ A recent Harris Poll highlighted that patients often experience unnecessary, failed and repeat needlesticks in hospitals. In fact, needlesticks are an often-overlooked challenge but can be one of the most traumatic aspects of a patient's hospital stay with more than half of Americans (51%) reporting some fear of needles. Among those, a top reason is fear of needing multiple needle insertions (31%).  

Patients and clinicians alike are interested in new technology and solutions to reduce needlesticks and improve the standard of care. 

"During my hospital stay, I dreaded the daily blood draws that left my arms bruised and painful," said a 17-year-old pediatric patient who experienced PIVO™ Pro during Carilion's trial period. "When I was introduced to this device, it was a game-changer. It saved me from the pain and tears of multiple needlesticks. It truly transformed my hospital experience, allowing me to focus on getting better without the added stress of painful blood draws. This innovation gave me hope and comfort during a very challenging time."

PIVO™ Pro will be available at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and will be rolled out to other Carilion hospitals throughout the year. Learn more about Carilion's commitment to compassionate patient care at www.carilionclinic.org. 

As the global leader in vascular access solutions, BD is committed to advancing the standard of care for IV therapy and blood draws for patients and health care providers. The PIVO™ Pro technology is part of the company's vision for a "One-Stick Patient Experience" to help minimize the number of needlesticks for patients by using an existing peripheral IV catheter line to collect a high-quality, reliable blood sample through a singular access point.¹ For more information about the BD Peripheral Line Draw Solution, including PIVO™ Pro, visit www.bd.com/PIVO. 

About Carilion Clinic 
Carilion Clinic is a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization headquartered in Roanoke, Va. A comprehensive network of hospitals, primary and specialty physician practices and other complementary services enables employees to collaborate in providing quality care close to home for nearly 1 million Virginians. With an enduring commitment to the region's health and wellness, Carilion also advances care through philanthropy, medical education and research, helps the communities it serves stay healthy and inspires the region to grow stronger. For more information, visit CarilionClinic.org and follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its more than 70,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/, X (formerly Twitter) @BDandCo or Instagram @becton_dickinson. 

Contacts

Carilion Clinic Corporate Communications
540-525-6041
[email protected]  

Alyssa Kretlow
BD Corporate Communications
551.238.4391
[email protected] 

Sources:

1. Pendleton B, LaFaye R. Multicenter study of needle-free blood collection system for reducing specimen error and intravenous catheter replacement. J Healthc Qual. 2022;44(2):e24-e30. doi:10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000331.
2. Green SF. The cost of poor blood specimen quality and errors in preanalytical processes. Clin Biochem. 2013;46:1175-1179. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2013.06.001.
3. Cadacio C, Nachamkin I. A novel needle-free blood draw device for sample collection from short peripheral catheters. J Infus Nurs. 2017:40(3):156-162.

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)