Vol. 34, No. 16 • June, July, August, 2008

IN THIS ISSUE

Vol. 34, No. 20 • May, June, July 2009

O Protégé Mentorship Program Turns Five

By Jim Rutledge

■ As far back as 2001 it seemed like a good idea. By2003 it was listed as a charge for the President-elect(yours truly). It was another two years before SouthCentral’s Protégé Mentorship Program was formallylaunched by President Paula Kelley.

■ The graduating Protégé class of 2009 was present-ed to the membership at the President’s Receptionand Awards Banquet in Oklahoma City. Pairs includedRoberta Murfin (Carter BloodCare) and her mentorDavid Gremillion (Our Lady of the Lake RegionalMedical Center), LeeAnne Hairr (ARC-Little Rock) andher mentor Joe Ridley (Carter BloodCare), and JulieOntiveros (Coffee Memorial Blood Center) and hermentor Christie Loe (Charter Medical, Ltd.).

■ Eight Protégé/Mentor teams have been selectedfor the 2009-2010 year. They are Stephanie Babin(Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center) andher mentor Sara Ballew (UBS-Las Vegas), Tison Price(Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center) and her mentorBecky See (Blood Systems-Quality Source), KatrinaBillingsly (CHRISTUS Santa Rosa) and her mentorSarah Jones (Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center), ToniDouglas (Carter BloodCare) and her mentor ChrisCoffin (UBS-Lafayette), Courtney Harper (Gulf CoastRegional Blood Center) and her mentor Irma Villarreal(QualTex Laboratories), Dustin Conover (OklahomaBlood Institute) and his mentor Morris Dixon (BloodSystems Laboratories), DJ Olawunmi (CarterBloodCare) and his mentor Jo Youngblood (FreseniusMedical Care) and Travis Lockman (The Children’sHospital) and his mentor Kevin Land (Bonfils BloodCenter).

■ South Central’s Protégé Mentorship Programreceived exposure through an abstract displayed at

last year’s AABB meeting in Montreal; blood banking’slargest international organization indicated an interestin using our program as a model for building a pro-gram of its own.

■ Through active participation, Protégés are preparedto take their place as future leaders in the blood bank-ing professions and to serve the long-term needs ofthe South Central Association of Blood Banks.Mentors receive valuable experience themselves, andthe satisfaction of knowing they have played a role inthe long-term future of the Association.

■ Applications to become a Protégé or Mentor canbe completed electronically through the South Centralwebsite (http://www.scabb.org/protege-mentor-prog.html). The Protégé Mentorship ProgramCommittee then meets and reviews all applicants priorto each year’s Annual Meeting. Protégé/Mentor pairsare selected based on similarities in background andthe career goals of individual Protégé. With the guid-ance of their Mentor, Protégés conduct one projectper quarter and submit written reports of their activi-ties.

■ The Protégé Mentorship Program Committee hasbeen significantly expanded for 2009-2010. JamesGiacoletti (Carter BloodCare) and Jim Rutledge(Coffee Memorial Blood Center) are serving as co-chairs. The committee also includes Cheri Jennings(Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center), Chris Coffin(UBS-Lafayette), Dee Sadler (St. Vincent InfirmaryMedical Center), Diane Lechuga (Corpus ChristiMedical Center), Jose Garcia (QualTex Laboratories),Nancy Haubert (Blood Systems Laboratories), JoeRidley (Carter BloodCare), Roberta Murfin (CarterBloodCare), Sarah Jones (Gulf Coast Regional BloodCenter) and Susan Epperson (Poudre Valley HospitalBlood Bank).

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Protégé Mentorship Program . . . . 1

President's Message . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Journal Club Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Member News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2009 Graduating Class

O Donor/Recruitment/Collections HasStrong Presence at Annual Meeting

Dennis Harpool, SBB(ASCP)President

Imagine: A New Frontier in BloodBanking was the theme for our 2009

annual meeting and what a new frontier

it was! Here are a few facts about the

meeting:

• We achieved record attendance for a

meeting held outside the state of Texas.

• We recruited high quality, industry leaders as presenters.

• We heard presentations on relevant and timely industry

topics.

• We had excellent vendor participation resulting in an out-

standing Exhibit hall showcasing new and proven technology.

• We had many current and previous “Protégés” plan and

actively participate in the meeting.

In my opinion the meeting exemplified the South Central

Associations of Blood Banks (SCABB) purpose for existence.

Our organization’s purposes are:

• To promote, foster and support the exchange of ideas and

material and dissemination of information related to blood

banking, transfusion medicine, related technical methodology,

and administrative practices associated with the above by edu-

cation and open forums.

• To provide information on current events related to blood

banking to professional personnel and, on important policy

questions, to represent blood banks to the general public

through the region consisting of those states defined by the

Association's Bylaws.

• To assist and support training of personnel in the field and

provide mechanisms for individual professional growth.

• To promote and foster opportunities for interaction through-

out the region, supporting both exchange of ideas and cama-

raderie.

In addition to the annual meeting the association offers a mini-

mum of four educational audio conferences, better known as

“SCABBinars”, each year and has again begun to hold regional

workshops.

In my opinion these activities are excellent examples of how

SCABB fulfills its mission statement: The Mission of SouthCentral Association of Blood Banks is to provide opportunitiesfor members to enhance their abilities to deliver quality bloodservices.

As the incoming President I want to acknowledge that I truly

believe the success of an organization correlates directly to the

commitment of its members. As members of SCABB each of us

are privileged to have an excellent executive board and commit-

tee chairs that are committed to you the members of SCABB.

There is a saying by Pat Riley, the head coach of the Miami Heat

basketball team that clearly defines commitment. He says

"There are only two options regarding commitment. You'reeither IN or you're OUT. There's no such thing as life in-between." It is truly an honor to be in an organization where its

leaders have decided to be “IN”.

I am proud to be a member of an association that provides true

value for its members and develops and mentors leaders. It is

my commitment to you to that I will remain focused on the

organization’s mission and purpose for existence.

O President’s Message

2

Welcome 2010 SCABB Board of Directors! L-R: Sara Ballew, Russell Johnson, SusieHart, Nancy Haubert, David Gremillion, Dennis Harpool, Kirk Kitchen, JeannieGardner, Jose Garcia, LeaAnn Teague, Christie Loe.

By: Nancy Mowry

The Local Arrangements Committee promoted Oklahoma City as the perfectsetting for the 2009 51st Annual Meeting of the South Central Association ofBlood Banks. And even with the wind whipping around the city, it turned outto be true.

As a member of the Donor Recruitment and Collections committee, I wasexcited to attend the many great workshops we had put together. Althoughthe program of workshops started for some on Thursday, April 2nd, my firstwas Stephanie Babin’s workshop on Friday morning on Have ApheresisEquipment - Will Travel. Since we just started our own mobile pheresis pro-gram in Arizona, my Director of Collections and I were eager to hear fromsomeone much more experienced than we were. And we were not disappoint-ed. Stephanie gave some great tips on how to recruit and schedule donors,how to target specific groups for successful drives, and, just as informative,how to load the machine onto the bus for transport. I love it when someonecomes up with a simple and “inexpensive” solution.

Next up was Donor Loyalty vs. Incentive Programs. I’ve known Dr. JohnArmitage, the new President and CEO, Oklahoma Blood Institute, for severalyears now and I’ve always been intrigued by his ideas on donor recruitmentand retention. And he did not disappoint with this presentation. I think weprobably have all become much too easily addicted to T-shirts as the perfectrecognition item for donors. You did have to laugh at the idea of double redcell donors getting two T-shirts for their donation. It’s kind of scary when youthink of taking that even further, possibly giving apheresis donors who donatea triple three T-shirts, and then you’d need a warehouse just to house all theshirts. John’s idea of donating the equivalent of a recognition item, whether aT-shirt, a mug or some other item, to a charity has some real possibilities fornot only fostering donor loyalty but building community partnerships as well.

Another highlight for me was Erick Poerschke who presented Marketing 101—The Life Business. His approach to thinking of blood banking as being in theLife Saving Business offers a whole different approach to appealing to poten-tial donors. This session just didn’t last long enough. There were so many newideas to absorb and plenty of questions to ask long after he was done. I’d loveto have him come back next year and offer more of his marketing ideas.

I could go on but I think you get the idea that the offerings this year were out-standing, and presenters were excellent. The downside is you can’t go to allthe sessions. I think we sometimes underestimate how much we can reallylearn from each other.

It’s a year away but already I’m looking forward to attending the 52nd annualmeeting. Although it’s hard to imagine, I know the DonorRecruitment/Collections workshops will be as exciting and stimulating as theywere this year and there will be much to learn.

3

O 2009 Technical / Scientific Wrap Up

O Administrative Track Speakers Provide Excellent Information!!

By Lisa Fults

Imagine a New Frontier in Blood Banking wasexactly what the Technical and Scientific com-mittee had in mind for the educational programduring the 2009 annual meeting. The programincluded a vast variety of information throughexcellent speakers, experts in the field and bypanel and roundtable discussions. TheTechnical / Scientific program began with theexceedingly popular Serological Case Studies.This program had Rosemary Persa, MonicaLaSarre, and Dr. Barbara Bryant all presentingcases that were interesting and complicatedmysteries when they arrived in their bloodbanks; but through careful deductive reasoningand multiple tests they all arrived at correctconclusions. The audience learned step by stephow these unusual antibodies were identifiedand in one cases how bacteria from a cat hadcontaminated two separate apheresis plateletdonations.

The session Emerging Technologies wasextremely interesting as we learned from LynneBriggs about RFID in the Blood Supply Chain.She explained all her research at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin and the University ofWisconsin. We look forward to an update nextyear on the safety gains in hospitals from theRFID technology.

Two sessions on Transfusion Complicationsincluded TRALI – Recognition and RiskReduction Strategies presented by Dr. Leon Suand Platelet Additive Solution in the U.S.: Hasthe Time Come? Presented by Stein Holme

Ph.D. These sessions provided an overview ofthe recognition of TRALI and how to distinguishthis from TACO. Dr. Su also highlighted thecurrent risk reduction strategies. Dr. Holmereviewed the use of platelet additive solutionsoutside the U.S. and then described hisresearch of developing an additive with glucoseto be used in the future here in the U.S.

Transfusion Indications and Blood Utilizationsession paired Patricia Williams discussingOpportunities and Challenges in BloodManagement with Dr. Daniel Noland discussingMassive Transfusion for Pediatric Patients. Welearned that proper blood management shouldextend far beyond the transfusion service andthat it can improve patient safety as well assave on costs. Dr. Noland discussed the benefitsof having a massive transfusion protocol andthe importance of plasma to red cell ratio in theprotocol.

Annual meeting attendees submitted questionsfor the Ask the Experts panel of blood bankexperts including Marilyn Moulds, Dr. ArthurBracey, Dr. Dan Waxman, Dr. Mary Townsend,Dr. James Clark and Dr. Kevin Land. Dr. FrancisRodwig moderated this lively discussion onquestions and issues relevant to transfusionmedicine and blood banking.

Christie Loe presented an interactive session onCurrent Trends in Neonatal Transfusion. Theaudience was surveyed regarding practices attheir institutions for CMV and filtration to irradi-ation and this was compared to the nationalsurvey results from Charter Medical.

The Technical Scientific Roundtable discussionsprovided an opportunity for networking on topics affecting the day-to-day activities in thehospital and blood center settings. Interactivediscussions on topics that included bio-vigilance, coding and reimbursement, computersystems and component manufacturing madethis a very enjoyable and successful format.

The Technical Scientific Award lecture wastitled The Fresh Blood Controversy – Science,Clinical Notes and the Unknown presented byDr. Arthur Bracey. He helped us understand themetabolic alterations associated with bloodstorage and reviewed animal models and evalu-ated clinical trials reporting adverse outcomesrelated to stored blood effects.

Closing the annual SCABB meeting was theKaren Williams Memorial Lecture presented byDr. Celso Bianco speaking on Emerging andEmerged Infections of Relevance to BloodTransfusion. How Safe is Safe? Dr. Biancoreviewed the risks of transfusion-transmitteddisease in the U.S. with the impact of recentlyintroduced screening assays. Dr. Biancoexplored the potential threats of Dengue andChikungunya infections and discussed thepotential solution of pathogen reduction.

The Technical and Scientific program was wellattended and proved to be very successful thisyear. The Technical and Scientific committeewould like to extend their gratitude to all thespeakers and sponsors who made this programpossible.

O Technical / Scientific Program Filled Attendees Imaginations With Ideas For A New Frontier

The Administrative Track at thisyear’s Annual Meeting in OklahomaCity provided a good mixture ofspeakers from within and outsideSCABB, along with a wide variety oftopics.

On Friday April 3rd, Jane Hale andMichael Nichols from Canadian BloodServices enlightened the audienceabout how CBS builds new programs,and improves existing programs toreach collection, donor satisfaction,and cost containment goals. WhileCBS does not have the “competitionfactor” with other blood centers likemany of us face in the U.S., they doface the same challenges such asdonor recruitment and retention. Itwas interesting to point out that 90%of their donors who make appoint-ments at their “clinics” actually honorthose appointments. They have 41fixed site “clinics” along with mobileclinics, but only ONE bus…NATION-WIDE!! Last year they performedapproximately 20,000 blood drives!

Following Jane and Mike wasSuzanne Butch. Suzanne’s topicInpatients, Outpatients-How to Billfor Services explained the meaningand use of the myriad of billingabbreviations such as OPPS, APC,HCPCS, DRG, and CPT. She alsoexplained what combination of infor-mation is required to bill for each of

the visit types and what pitfalls toavoid. She gave various charge sce-narios and compared and contrastedthose scenarios when billing for aninpatient visit vs. an outpatient visit.One example she gave was billing forirradiated and non-irradiated bloodproducts that were used on the samevisit. While it is permissible to placeboth types of products on an inpa-tient bill, that is not true for an out-patient bill.

After lunch on Friday Mark Grabanfrom ValuMatrix Services, OrthoClinical Diagnostics, spoke aboutHow LEAN Thinking Helps Hospitals.Mark shared his experience from thenumerous LEAN implementations hehas been involved with. While mostpeople equate LEAN with buildingand workspace layout, Mark keptstressing that this is only one aspectof LEAN. He explained that theLEAN way of thinking can be used tohelp make other areas of a facilitysuch as infection control, and billingmore productive without moving onesingle piece of furniture or equip-ment.

Rounding out the Friday session wasSandy Holdcraft from Children’sMedical Center in Dallas. Sandy’stopic The Biovegilance Network wasscheduled to start its pilot form onMarch 1st. She informed us about

what the Biovegilance Network is,what it will be used for, how it works,and why it is so important to hospi-tals and blood centers. She was hop-ing to share some of the preliminarydata generated by the Network withthe audience…but there was a delayin the launch of the pilot program.Nonetheless, Sandy did a great jobexplaining this new tool!

On Saturday, April 4th, Dr. Francis“Bobby” Rodwig from OchsnerHealth Systems in New Orleans spokeabout The Administrative Role of theMedical Director. In blood banking,the Medical Director and theLaboratory Director is often one inthe same. In addition, because bloodbanks are often trying to follow mul-tiple accreditation agency standards,the Medical and/or LaboratoryDirector is often required to be aboard certified MD. While a non-doc-torate employee may hold the title of“Laboratory Director,” it is a doctorwho officially fills that role. Takingthat into mind, does your Pathologisthire bench staff and make out theirschedules? Does your MedicalDirector perform maintenance onyour instrumentation? While theanswer is probably “no,” they areindeed responsible for these func-tions as well as a whole host of otherfunctions that we do not generallyconsider “doctor” work.

Even the doctors in attendance wereshocked at the amount of responsi-bility placed on the Medical and/orLaboratory Directors. It was a veryinteresting, amusing, and eye-open-ing presentation.

To finish out the sessions onSaturday was Michelle Stefan, ChiefAdministrative Officer from CarterBloodCare. Michelle informed usabout Strategic Planning: Creating aRoadmap to Success. She explainedhow Strategic Planning gives anorganization direction. If an organi-zation does not have a clearroadmap, how does it know whatkind of people it will need, or equip-ment, or facilities? A good StrategicPlan provides definition for an organ-ization, but must be flexible enoughto accommodate changes in thefuture. Michele assigned case stud-ies to each table in the audience sothat those not familiar with the wayStrategic Planning works could get asmall taste of the thought process.

To end the day on Saturday, alltracks will merge into “RoundtableDiscussions.” The sessions will allowparticipants to share ideas, ask ques-tions, or simply vent about a varietyof topics. This is a wide-open forumand no subject is taboo. Moderatorswill provide some topics as a startingpoint, BUT THE TOPICS ARE UP TOYOU!!

The Administrative Committee isproud to present this year’s line-upof speakers and we know everyonewho attends will gain valuable infor-mation from their vast experienceand background.

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June 23rd 11:00 AM CDTInpatients, Outpatients - How to Bill for ServicesPresented by: Suzanne H. Butch, MA, MT(ASCP)SBBAdministrative Manager, University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers

This session will differentiate between billing for inpatient and outpatient Medicare services, describe the recent changes, discuss current advocacy efforts to modify billing and provide attendees with resources for billing questions.

Intended Audience:Transfusion Administrators ¥ M anagers • Supervisors

July 14th, 1100 AM CDTUsing Molecular Typing to Resolve Complex Blood Bank CasesPresenter: Rebecca Bullock, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Immunohematology Reference Lab & Freezing LabAmerican Red Cross - Carolinas Region

Register Now to Attend Upcoming SCABBinar’s

Visit www.scabb.org for complete details and to register.

5

O SCABB Honors Award Winners in Oklahoma City!

■ Oklahoma City’s Historic Skirvin Hotel wasan amazing backdrop for this year’s annualawards banquet. It was a wonderful eveningin which we were able to celebrate ourpeers, enjoy some good food and plenty ofdancing.

■ The 2009 Presidents Award of Merit,Outstanding Individual was presented toJohn Armitage, M.D., Oklahoma BloodInstitutes President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer, for his continued work with theGlobal Blood Fund in which he encouragesthose with a passion for international healthimprovement to donate blood locally, andhave an avenue of international outreach toimpact blood safety and supply. Dr.Armitage’s passion for helping other worldcitizens in need of a safe blood supply isparamount for the future of blood banking.

■ The 2009 President’s Award of Merit,Outstanding Contribution was presented toBob Moore Saturn of Oklahoma City, OK.The BMS drive is the largest, most successfuldrive in Oklahoma. In the past 6 years,22,000 new donors have been added toOBI’s donor base, and 142,000 units ofblood have been donated. Moreover BMSalso donated 2 cars for their 2008-2009campaign. Because of the collaborativeefforts between BMS and OBI, 60% of allSaturn blood donations nationwide camefrom Bob Moore Saturn.

■ The Larry L. Trow Memorial EducationAward was presented to Marie Holub, MAEd, MT (ASCP) SBB, education coordinatorat Blood Systems Laboratories for her con-tinued development and teaching of Blood

O Education Remains Key Focus for SCABB

The SCABB Education Committeehosted another SCABBinar onMay 12th entitled How to Thrive ina Growing World of Automation.The presenter was StephanieBabin from Our Lady of the LakeRegional Medical Center.Stephanie’s presentation wasgeared toward recruitment andcollections staff. It was veryinformative about the challengesand rewards for having the rightkind of automation and identify-ing the best ways to get donorsmotivated and excited aboutdonating on it. To purchase thisSCABBinar, visit www.scabb.org >Education Events.

Currently, the EducationCommittee is working withSuzanne Butch from University ofMichigan Hospitals and HealthCenters to present her annualmeeting presentation on the chal-lenges of reimbursement. ThisSCABBinar is being planned forlate June.

On July 14th Rebecca Bullockfrom American Red Cross,Carolinas Region – DurhamCenter, will give a presentationtitled Using Molecular Typing toResolve Complex Blood BankCases. This should be a highly rel-evant and interesting case review.Marie Holub and Dr. Frank Nizzifrom United Blood Services haveagreed to co-chair a sub-commit-tee for distance learning whichwill place the future SCABBinarsunder their sub-committee'sdirection.

SCABBinars and DistrictWorkshops are another way foryou to gather with your peers(even if it's by phone) for an inex-pensive and professional educa-tional event. Check the websiteoften for additional offerings.

Kirk D. Kitchen, MT(ASCP)SBB Director of Operations, Clinical Labs Blood Systems Laboratories, Tempe

The 51st Annual Meeting & Exhibit Show of the South CentralAssociation of Blood Banks in OKC was a huge success!

Those who entered the exhibit hall were entertained withmusic, card games, silent auction, food, and refreshments.During the friendly competition of our silent auction we wereable to raise $1,610.00 for the SCABB Foundation.

A special thanks to all of the exhibitors, attendees, SCABBmembers, and committee members. Everyone’s contributionand participation helped to ensure a memorable meetingand exhibit show.

Please be sure to seek out our exhibiting vendors first whenconsidering a new equipment or product purchase. It is inlarge part due to their continued support that the associa-tion is able to continue to present quality educational pro-grams for our members.

Make plans to attend the 52nd Annual Meeting and ExhibitShow in San Antonio, Texas!

O Exhibit Hall Highlight of Annual Meeting

Bank Technology Programs in sponsorshipwith University of Texas SouthwesternMedical Center.

■ Dr. Matthew Gottlieb Rising Star Awardwas presented to Stephanie Babin at OurLady of the Lake Regional Medical Center,Baton Rouge, LA for continued commitmentto SCABB and blood banking profession forover 18 years.

■ The Cornerstone Award was presented toBlood Systems, Inc and its subsidiaries,Blood Systems Laboratories, and UnitedBlood Services which have contributed sig-nificantly to the success of the SouthCentral Association of Blood Banks formany years. Since 2006 Blood Systems hasprovided sponsorship totaling more than$40,000. BSI has been active in educationand membership involvement of the associ-ation which is evidenced by the over 55employees in SCABB membership.

6

The local arrangements committeecould not have been happier withthe outcome of this year’s annualmeeting in downtown OklahomaCity next to the historic Bricktownarea.

We started out with the annualgolf tournament, renamed “EdMoore Memorial Golf Tournament,”at the lovely Rose Creek golfcourse. Ed’s memory was aliveand well as his co-Bubba’s, friendsand colleagues played for braggingrights in what had to have beenthe windiest tournament in SCABBhistory! However the wind did notblow away the spirit of fun andcompetition as balls “flew” all overthe course. Our president LeaAnnand her husband Jim were seenhanging on to their hats and golfcart as they cheered on the play-ers. Congratulations to the win-ning team which included JamesBoone and Dennis Hoag withMathew Specialty Vehicles, DeonSmith, Haemonetics and JeannieGardner, Oklahoma Blood Institute,and yes, they won honestly!Special thanks to Mathew SpecialtyVehicles for sponsoring this eventand to Deon Smith and RussellJohnson of Haemonetics, GaryLynch of the Oklahoma BloodInstitute and Terry Ridenhour ofUBS, Ft Smith for organizing thetournament.

Next was the opening session, andwow, it was impressive! LeaAnnTeague welcomed all to the annualmeeting and introduced our open-ing speaker, George Nigh, formerOklahoma Governor. GovernorNigh told us of the great history ofOklahoma from the Frontier daysto the progressive and lively placeof today. We all know that just

nine miles from our hotel meetingsite lived people and places ofgreat history to our state. He alsointroduced us to the awesomemusical talent of Kyle Dillingham.Kyle entertained us with his coun-try music on the fiddle whichthen turned into the violin with aclassic piece that took yourbreath away. With the charmand wit of Governor Nigh andthe talent of Kyle the openingprogram set the tone for theincredible meeting to come. Ourspecial thanks to the OklahomaBlood Institute for sponsoringKyle. Walking out of the open-ing session attendees were metby saloon girls, cowgirls, anIndian princess and saloon guysto escort the group to the exhib-it hall opening. Blue grassmusic filled the hall while playingcards were gathered fromexhibitors to see who couldbuild the winning poker hand.Hats off to Tara Scott of theOklahoma Blood Institute whoheaded up the great team whoorganized these incredibleevents. Other team membersfrom the Oklahoma BloodInstitute included SuzanneBourgeois, Kenda Morris andPatti Barker. Thank you all forthe memorable opening!

Early risers enjoyed the annualfun run sponsored by theOklahoma Blood Institute.Cheered on as first to the finishline was Patrick Calloway whotook away the first prize trophy.Nancy Haubert of BloodSystems was the first placefemale winner who also receiveda lovely trophy. All runners andwalkers were awarded impres-sive medals for participation.

Dustin Conover of the OklahomaBlood Institute did an awesome jobin organizing this event. Dustinhad a large group of volunteerswho served snacks and drinks andcheered on the runners. Thankyou all for a great event!

It seemed our meeting just startedwhen we were off to the annualawards banquet at the beautifulhistoric Skirvin Hotel. We all gath-ered and walked the short block tothe hotel in anticipation of theevening events. Many attendeesstood in line to learn what thecards told of their future. Ourcard reader stayed busy for manyhours and our new presidentDennis Harpool received someadvice on his upcoming year.LeaAnn presented awards andintroduced the DJ’s who played avariety of music and the dancerstook to the floor. Our DJ’s alsoprovided Karaoke and who knew

that SCABB was full of great musi-cal talent! Appreciation for help-ing with this lovely event goes toSusan Crews of the OklahomaBlood Institute, Ardmore.

We imagined that this event wouldbe memorable and I hope you allagree that it was and that theFrontier spirit of our beautiful citywill stay with you as you imaginethe new frontier of possibilities foryour blood bank or blood center.

The local arrangement thanks KarlaDarnall and her team from ourmanagement group for all theirhelp and support in planning thismeeting. We could not havemade this happen without them.

Tammy Whitely and Jeannie Gardner,Co-Chairs Local Arrangements

O OKC Local Arrangements Committee Delivers A New Frontier

O Sustaining Members

Daniel BolchenCLT (HEW)Poudre Valley Hospital

Linda BossardSBB(ASCP) Scottsdale Healthcare

Kathie CarlsonMT(ASCP)SBB Terumo MedicalCorporation

Christopher CoffinMT(ASCP)SBB United Blood Services

James Dugger BS, MT(ASCP)SBBUnited Blood Services

Susan Epperson BS MT(ASCP)SBBPoudre Valley HospitalBlood Bank

James Giacoletti Carter BloodCare

Kimberly Goldman B.S., MT E.A. Conway Medical Center

David Gremillion MT(ASCP)SBB MS HPOur Lady of The LakeRegional Medical Center

Lauro Guerra, Jr. B.S., MT(ASCP) St. Luke's EpiscopalHospital

Nancy HaubertMBA, MT(ASCP)SBBBlood SystemsLaboratories

Ronald Hein United Blood Services

Daniel Houghton MT(ASCP) BloodSystems Laboratories

Kathleen Houston MT(ASCP)SBB,CQA(ASQ)The Childrens Hospital ofDenver-Blood Bank

Paula Kelley BS MT(ASCP)SBBChildren's Medical Center

Diane Lechuga MT BB (ASCP) Corpus Christi MedicalCenter

Christie Loe-Malone MT(ASCP)SBB Charter Medical, Ltd.

Tina McNabb MT(ASCP)BB Methodist Med CenterDallas

Frank Nizzi Blood Systems

Terri Poulin MT(ASCP)SBB United Blood Services

James RutledgePhD Coffee Memorial BloodCenter

Delia Sadler MT(ASCP)SBB St. Vincent InfirmaryMedical Center

Rebecca SeeMS, MT(ASCP) CLS(NCA)CQA(ASQ) BloodSystems

Lloyd Sessums United Blood Services

Dwight Sledge United Blood Services -Meridian, MS

Michelle Stefan Carter BloodCare

James TeagueBS, SBB(ASCP) Ochsner Medical Center -Baton Rouge

LeaAnn Teague MT(ASCP)SBB, MBAUnited Blood Services

Jay Thomas BS MT(ASCP) CLS(NCA)Our Lady of the LakeRegional Medical Center

Elizabeth Waltman United Blood Services -Albuquerque, NM

Raya Zerger MT(ASCP)SBB Olympus America, Inc.

Kimberly Banks The Methodist Hospital

Ron Hein United Blood Services -Las Vegas, NV

Cheri Jennings BS, MT(ASCP)SBB,CQA(ASQ)Gulf Coast RegionalBlood Center

Laura Korte MBA, MT(ASCP)SBB,CCRP St. Luke's EpiscopalHospital

Francis Rodwig MD Ochsner Medical Center,New Orleans

Margaret Wallace MHS MT(ASCP)SBBLifeShare Blood Centers

Lynn Hipp Coastal Bend BloodCenter

Garrick 'Rick' ChatelainBlood Center forSoutheast Louisiana

Bobby Grigsby Carter Blood Care

Miriam Zamora Rio Grande RegionalHospital-Blood Bank

Eugenia Bryan MD UTHSCSA Path Dept.

Mary Jo Drew MD, MHSA American Red CrossNorthwest RegionalBlood Services

Kathleen Sazama MD JD LifeSouth CommunityBlood Centers, Inc.

Robert Treuting BA MD Blood Center forSoutheast Louisianna

Since May 2009

Suzanne BourgeoisOklahoma Blood Institute11301 Parnership Dr, Ste A Oklahoma City, OK 73131Office:405-419-1356sbourgeois@obi.orgMember Type: IND

Melanie GollihareCTCA10109 E. 79th Street Tulsa, OK 74133-4564Office:918-286-5333melanie.gollihare@ctca-hope.comMember Type: IND

Lauro Guerra, Jr.St. Luke's EpiscopalHospital6720 Bertner Houston, TX 77030Office:832-355-4116lguerra@sleh.comMember Type: SIND

Kathleen IvanovskisMethodist MansfieldMedical Center2700 East Broad StLaboratoryMansfield, TX 76063Office:682-622-5879kathleenivanovskis@mhd.comMember Type: IND

Dwight PerkinsIntermedix Group Inc.PO Box 270780 Oklahoma City, OK 73137-0780Office:405-376-9393dwight@igok.comMember Type: ACM

Tison PriceGulf Coast Regional BloodCenter1400 La Concha LaneHouston, TX 77054Office:713-791-7740tprice@giveblood.orgMember Type: IND

Rebecca SeeBlood Systems6210 E. Oak Scottsdale, AZ 85257Office:480-323-6580bsee@bloodsystems.orgMember Type: SIND

Leon SuUnited Blood Services6220 E Oak Street Scottsdale, AZ 85259Office:480-675-5872lsu@bloodsystems.orgMember Type: PHYS

Patricia WilliamsBaylor University MedicalCenter3500 Gaston Ave, 2YWing Dallas, TX 75246Office:214-820-3214patw@baylorhealth.eduMember Type: IND

O Welcome New Members

7

Stem Cells Goals Of ProgramBy Debra LemoineAdvocate staff writerPublished: Apr 3, 2009 - Page: 1B

Women giving birth at Woman’s Hospitalwill soon be able to donate the blood fromtheir babies’ umbilical cords as part of apilot program to establish the state’s onlypublic bank for cord blood.

Cord blood is sought for its stem cells usedin treatments of more than 70 diseases,such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. Thisblood is collected from the placenta andumbilical cord, normally discarded after thebirth of a child.

The idea for a public cord blood bank beganat educational conferences where LifeShareleaders were encouraged to set up such aprogram, said Terri Turner-Marse, LifeShareexecutive director. LifeShare, a Shreveportnonprofit blood bank with centers acrossthe state, received a $1 million grant fromthe Legislature in 2008 to set up the publiccord-blood bank.

Woman’s Hospital was selected as the siteof the pilot program because its staff deliv-ers more babies than any other hospital inthe state, according to the Louisiana Bureauof Vital Statistics.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity toour patients and to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative that will help to savelives,” said Teri G. Fontenot, president andchief executive officer of Woman’s Hospital.

The samples will be processed by LifeShareand shipped to Duke University’s CarolinaCord Blood Bank for storage in its nationalblood banking program, Turner-Marse said.

Parents also can bank their child’s cordblood at no cost for family members to usein stem cell treatments of inherited condi-tions, such as sickle-cell anemia, she said.

“It’s an exciting opportunity because this isadvanced science being able to beemployed currently,” said Dr. DuaneSuperneau, director of Genetic Services ofLouisiana. “We’re very fortunate that we willbe a part of that.”

O LifeShare and Woman’s Plan Cord Blood Bank

SCABBinars are available forpurchase at www.scabb.org<http://www.scabb.org/> >

Educational Events”

8

O Article Review:

The effects of liberal versus restrictivetransfusion thresholds on ambulationafter hip fracture surgery. Transfusion2009; 49:227-234.

Review provided by:

Kirk Kitchen, MT (ASCP)SBBDirector of Operations,Clinical LaboratoriesBlood SystemsLaboratoriesTempe, AZ

SCABB has published in the journal, PULSE,five journal reviews for the Journal ClubCorner. These reviews represented a varietyof subjects and provided insight as to howthe author’s findings and presentation impactthe reader. Writing an article review is bene-ficial to others in your profession by provid-ing quick and easy-to-read information aboutresearch and various studies being conduct-ed in transfusion medicine. I would like tobriefly re-cap the reviews that have beenshared from our peers in the profession and Iinvite you to offer reviews for future publica-tions.

Clinical predictors of alloimmunization afterred blood cell transfusion, Transfusion 2007;47. Reviewed by Gail Savage, MT (ASCP)SBB, from the ImmunohematologyLaboratory (IRL) at Blood SystemsLaboratories (BSL), Tempe

There had been few studies to investigateclinical risk factors for alloimmunization.Further, the researchers discussed the rea-sons that alloimmunization is a worthy causefor research, e.g., it is the most commonadverse reaction reported. The researcherswent on to discuss the value of the impor-tance of having knowledge of clinical condi-tions which predispose patients to alloimmu-nization—namely, that more extensive anti-

gen typing could be instituted for those moreat risk, and that knowledge of the associa-tions may lead to a better understanding ofthe etiology of this type of transfusion reac-tion.

In conclusion the reviewer felt that this paperleft one with more questions than answers,any one of which could constitute anotherresearch study and follow-up paper.

Fetal genotyping for the K (Kell) and Rh C, cand E blood groups on cell-free fetal DNA inmaternal plasma. Transfusion 2007; 47.Reviewed by Susan Setterman, MT (ASCP),from the IRL at BSL, Tempe AZ.

Predicting hemolytic disease of the fetus andnewborn is a significant obstetrical concern.Primary methods to date are highly invasiveand propose a risk to the fetus. Over thepast few years researchers have been validat-ing tests for detecting blood group antigensusing minimal invasive procedures withoutany risk to the fetus.

The methodology employed was real-timequantitative polymerase chain reaction givingwhat the authors considered the requiredsensitivity and specificity of the assays usedfor these tests.

In conclusion the reviewer felt that theauthors had developed a reliable and rela-tively risk free method for predicting K, C, c,and E phenotypes from cell-free fetal DNAand can use this DNA to predict fetal red cellphenotype and relative risk of HDFN.

The ongoing variability in blood transfusionpractices in cardiac surgery. Transfusion2008; 48. Reviewed by Gail Savage.

The authors stated that their “study compre-hensively demonstrates…considerable anddisturbing variability in perioperative transfu-sion practice,” and offers reasons for the dis-parity. Relative to the introduction and rea-son for the study, the authors suggested thatthe enormous range may be “attributed tosubjectively based instead of an evidence-based practice and may indicate unnecessarytransfusion,” and, consequently, the establish-ment of standards of practice is not beingfollowed. To be fair, the authors also acknowl-edged that the differences may be attributedto numerous other variables such as patientdemographics, preoperative medication andtransfusion, as well as surgical, procedure-related factors.

“Improving transfusion safety: implementa-tion of a comprehensive computerized barcode-based tracking system for detectingand preventing errors”, authored by R.W.Askeland et.al., for Transfusion, July 2008,Volume 48. Reviewed by me.

Overall, implementation of the bar code-based computerized tracking system clearlyreduced errors in the transfusion process andprovided clear, timely and more thoroughevidence for investigation when errorsoccurred. The experience gained by develop-ing and implementing an automated tracking

system has prompted the institution to lookat other processes that could benefit from abar code-based computerized tracking sys-tem.

After reading this article I concluded that acomprehensive template or prototype fordeveloping and implementing such patientsafety initiatives is provided by the authors.

The effects of liberal versus restrictive trans-fusion thresholds on ambulation after hipfracture surgery. Transfusion 2009; 49.Reviewed by Dava Sue Cleveland-Noriega,D.O.Transfusion Medicine Fellow, University ofTexas Southwestern Medical Center/CarterBloodCare in Dallas, TX

Despite findings of the association of anemiaon increased morbidity/mortality anddecreased ambulation, transfusions have notdemonstrated decreased morbidity/mortalityor improved ambulation. As a result, thethreshold for transfusion has remained con-troversial regarding elderly hip fracturepatients. The study Results demonstrated nodifference in the patient’s ambulation skilllevel (CAS) between the liberal and restric-tive transfusion arms.

Factors that lead to increased cardiovascularmorbidity/mortality consisted of existing car-diovascular disease, undiagnosed cardiovas-cular disease, and a lack of regional analgesiawith epidural local anesthetics. No conclu-sion could be drawn on the safety of restric-tive transfusion in this population. Theauthors recommended larger well-designedrandomized studies assessing mortality asthe endpoint. Another possibility not men-tioned by the authors would be for all elderlyhip fracture patients to undergo cardiac eval-uation prior to surgery.

O Journal Club

Incoming President, Dennis Harpool consults the cards for direction for the 2010 SCABB year!

March 31st was a red letter day asUBS/Lubbock celebrated the GrandOpening of their beautiful new facili-ty. Local HEROES, dignitaries, staffand UBIE were on hand for the rib-bon cutting ceremony and flag cere-mony. Keynote speakers includedStanley King, Executive Director,West Texas, and Dan Connor,President and CEO of Blood Systems,Inc., along with long time plateletdonor Dick Burnett, who spoke fromthe donor’s viewpoint, followed byJennifer Seals, San Angelo DRR, whospoke from the recipient’s viewpoint.Refreshments and tours of the build-ing followed.

The 20,580 sq foot facility includes a10,750 sq foot addition and a com-

plete remodel of the existing center.The donor area is equipped with 12donor recliners and for entertain-ment, the donors can enjoy Wi-Fiaccessibility, flat screen TV’s withcable and a library of DVD’s. A stateof the art training room is equippedwith media sources on both sides, asthe room can be divided into twoareas with roll back doors.

Donor Recruitment andAdministration had been off-site forseveral years and the main centerwas very cramped. Having amplespace to work and everyone beingunder the same roof has madeLubbock employees very happy!

O Member News

After each South Central Association ofBlood Banks Annual Meeting I return towork energized with new ideas, informa-tion and fellowship. This year was some-how different. I left the meeting feelingvery proud of the contributions thatDistrict III (Louisiana, Mississippi,Arkansas) members are making toSCABB.

District III members played key roles atthe Annual Meeting. Our district includ-ed the President of SCABB, the RisingStar Award winner and speakers for twodifferent programs. Additional respon-

sibilities were seen as district III mem-bers led four round table discussions,moderated five sessions, and includedone Protégé/Mentor pair. Last but notleast, three of our members eitherchaired or co-chaired a committee.

SCABB members from District III areworking hard to help make SCABB thepremiere regional blood bank associa-tion in the world. If you are not a mem-ber please join using the www.scabb.orgweb site or call me @ 225 765-8162.David Gremillion, MT(ASCP)SBB MS HP

O District III News

O UBS/Lubbock Officially Unveils New Center

Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge,LA., has teamed up with LifeShareBlood Centers for a pilot programthat aims to set up what would bethe first public cord blood bank inthe state. LifeShare hopes the state'sdiverse population and large black

community will boost chances forminorities to find matches for cordblood transplants. Women's Hospitalexpects to start collecting umbilicalcord blood in two to three months.The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA.) (4/3)

O Louisiana Seeks To Set Up Public Cord Blood Bank

News From District II

Oklahoma Blood Institute was named the 2009winner of the Charles Schusterman Award forExcellence as the outstanding, non-profit organi-zation in Oklahoma. This award is presented bythe Oklahoma Center for Non-profits. Twenty-seven organizations were nominated for thisaward by a selection commission, consisting of 11state leaders. The nominees were identified forachieving excellence everyday in the services thatthey provide. Criteria considered in choosing theoverall top organization included: mission, lead-ership and human resources, financial support,impact, financial and public accountability, sus-tainability and strategic alliances. Dr. JohnArmitage, CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institutestated, “This award is a tremendous recognitionfor a 32-year history of fulfilling our life-savingmission with the highest standard of professional-ism and excellence. Deepest thanks to ourdonors, coordinators, sponsors, volunteers,Boards, physicians, hospitals, friends, and stafffor creating the best non-profit in Oklahoma.”

United Blood Services New Mexico welcomesRose Marie Keating as the new Donor CareDirector for the state and Four Corners region.Keating, who holds an MBA, a bachelor’s degreein Medical Technology and has ASCP accredita-tion, brings a vast amount of experience fromlengthy tenures at Owens and Minor, SetonHealthcare Network and Abbott Laboratories.Activities that she is excited about being involvedin include making UBSNM one of the best placesto work and the efforts of UBSNM in its applica-tion for a Quality New Mexico award. When askedwhy she decided to pursue a job with UBS,Keating stated that she reached a point in her lifewhere she wanted to contribute to an organiza-tion involved in “a greater good.” She added thatthe staff at UBSNM seem to really care aboutwhat they are doing and she is glad to be able tobe a part of that type of camaraderie.

Jeannie Gardner, District II Director

Joe Moran, Gary Lynch, Sandy Cardin; Jerry Dickman, GeraldMarshall, Dr. John Armitage, Mark Patterson, Howard G.

Barnett, Jr., Crystal Farrimond, and Jimmie Rowland Cash.

9

10

It may go without saying, but SCABB’s mem-bers are, quite literally, the life blood of ourorganization. Coming from a multitude ofgeographic areas, cultures, professional back-grounds, talents, and skills, SCABB’s membersmake us the great group we are today! Thearray of possibilities for networking with fel-low transfusion medicine professionals is near-ly limitless, and along with a varied menu ofeducational opportunities, has been a key fac-tor in keeping our membership strong andvital.

This is where your membership committeecomes in. Their job—no, their mission—is torecruit and retain individual and institutionalmembers to the association. That soundspretty dry, doesn’t it? And most of us wouldnot in any way think of the members ofSCABB as a dry, dull bunch, would we? That’swhy it’s up to the membership committee tokeep generating great ideas to both draw newmembers in and keep current members in thefold, happy and contributing.

To do that, especially in the current economicclimate, is more challenging than ever. Healthcare facilities, like business in general, are in apitched battle to maintain services whileeconomizing in any way possible.

Unfortunately, one of the first things to be cutin a hospital or blood center budget seems tobe educational travel. Combine that withmembers having to dig into their own pocketsto pay for memberships and education, andthe task of maintaining a healthy organizationcan be a daunting one. Providing value addedis the name of the game!

This year’s membership committee, however,is more than up to the task. Under the leader-ship of co-chairs Tom Choi of UBS Reno, andDr. Mary Jo Drew of the American Red Crossin Portland, OR, the committee is ready to rollup their sleeves and get to work. Other mem-bers of the committee include:

Rebecca Gardner, UBS, LouisianaLaurie Sutor, MD, Carter BloodCareJulie Ontiveros, Coffee Memorial Blood CenterLeeAnne Hairr, American Red Cross, Little RockWilliam Henry, UBS, RenoJames Giacoletti, Carter BloodCare

We are always looking for new, enthusiasticpeople to join us with fresh ideas for recruit-ing, welcoming, and retaining members inSCABB! If you are interested in joining thecommittee, please contact Tom or Dr. Drew.

O Members ARE the LIFE BLOOD of the Association!!

Dr. Carolyn Beck receives Honorary LifeMembership at the April Annual Meeting.

Also receiving Honorary Life Memberships wereLee Grooms & Bill Grimes.

Membership Milestone Achievements were pre-sented to LeeAnn Prihoda - 30 years, LaurieSutor & Susan Begnaud - 20 years.

EXECUTIVECOMMITTEE

President Dennis Harpool, SBB(ASCP)Blood Systems, Inc.6210 E. Oak St., PO Box 1867Scottsdale, AZ 85252Office: 480-675-5646Fax: 480-675-5167dharpool@bloodsystems.org

President-ElectNancy Haubert, BSMT(ASCP)SBBBlood Systems Laboratories2205 Hwy 121 Bedford, TX 76021-5950Office: 817-412-6108Fax: 817-412-6097nhaubert@bloodsystems.org

Vice PresidentJose Garcia South Texas Blood & Tissue Center6211 IH-10 West San Antonio, TX 78201Office: 210-731-5578Fax: 210-731-5505jgarcia2@bloodntissue.org

TreasurerChristie Loe, MT(ASCP)SBBCharter Medical, Ltd.259 Valencia Circle St. Petersburg, FL 33716Office: 727-324-7241Fax: 727-571-1936cloe@lydall.com

SecretaryKirk Kitchen, MT(ASCP)SBBBlood Systems, Inc.2424 West Erie DriveTempe, AZ 85282Office: 602-343-7108kkitchen@bloodsystems.org

Immediate Past PresidentLeaAnn Teague, MBA, MT(ASCP)SBBUnited Blood Services8234 One Calais Baton Rouge, LA 70809Office: 225-769-7233 x 3003Fax: 225-769-8633lteague@bloodsystems.org

DISTRICT DIRECTORS

District I – (TX)Susie Hart, MT(ASCP) Pall Medical4101 Coachman Lane Colleyville, TX 76034 Office: 817-205-7433Susie_hart@pall.com

District I – (TX) Russell JohnsonHaemonetics Corporation7049 Arboreal DriveDallas, TX 75231Office: 800-225-5242 x 9831rjohnson@haemonetics.com

District II (AZ, NM, CO, OK, NV)Jeannie Gardner, RNOklahoma Blood Institute1001 N. Lincoln Blvd.Oklahoma City, OK 73104Office: 405-205-5186JGardner@obi.org

District III (AR, LA, MS)David Gremillion, MT(ASCP)SBB MS HPOur Lady of The Lake RegionalMedical Center5000 Hennessy Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70808Office: 225-765-8162Fax: 225-765-3448 dgremill@ololrmc.com

District-at-Large Sara BallewUnited Blood Services6930 W. Charleston Blvd.Las Vegas, NV 89117Office: 702-228-4483 x 223sballew@bloodsystems.org

Central Office Karla Darnall, Executive DirectorSouth Central Association of Blood Banks866-649-6550 Ph866-649-6590 Fxwww.scabb.org

Amie Eubank, Member Services

Liz Pearce, Accounting

O Board of Directors

The Gambro BCT service, quality, and commitment you know with a new name

“ I believe CaridianBCT embodies the key ideals and values of caring, hope and partnership that our company and products have always represented to our customers.”

Leslee Simon-Blum Senior Product Support & Training Specialist

Gambro BCT is changing its name. For years you’ve known us as the company that has brought you innovation, quality and service through products such as the Trima Accel® Collection System and the Vista® Information System.

As the time came to change our name, we wanted to refl ect the values and strengths that make us unique. CaridianBCT, our new name, emphasizes two key ideas; 1) the care, quality, and service that we deliver to customers, donors, and patients.2) Our global focus and our innovation approach to meeting customer needs.