Storage Lesions: Effect on Selected Patients**
January 13, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104608

Director/Moderator: Monica LaSarre, MT(ASCP)SBB, Transfusion Services/Reference Lab Manager, Bonfils Blood Center

Faculty: Marie Steiner, MD, MS, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota; Chris Silliman, MD, PhD, Professor (tenured) of Pediatrics & Surgery, Bonfils Blood Center

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Define storage lesion in red cell and platelet components.
• Translate the basic science of the platelet storage lesion into improving patient outcomes and optimizing blood management. 
• Discuss the RECESS trial as it relates to red cell storage lesion.

Event Level: Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Demonstrating Hemovigilance: A View of the NHSN Hemovigilance Module Opening in January to All Hospitals
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104640

Director:  Barbee I. Whitaker, Ph.D., Director, Data and Special Programs, AABB

Faculty:  Alexis Harvey, MSPH, Public Health Analyst, Emergint Technologies, Surveillance Branch, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Intended Audience:  Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, Quality/Compliance Personnel, Information Management, Education/Training, Administration, Laboratory Testing, Patient Care

Objective:

• Review how to access and enter data into the Hemovigilance Module

Event Description: This a live web demonstration of the Hemovigilance Module of the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).  It is used to track adverse reactions and incidents associated with transfusions. Participants will learn how to access the CDC system, the sequence of forms to complete, how to fill out an adverse reaction and incident report, and how to join a group. There will be a Q&A session.  One free registration per site is offered for this program.

Event Level: Basic

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Changes in the Circular of Information for the Use of Human Blood and Blood Components
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104641

Director: Ralph R. Vassallo, MD, Heritage Division Chief Medical Officer, American Red Cross Blood Services, Philadelphia, PA

Moderator: Nora V. Hirschler, MD, President & CEO, Blood Centers of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA

Faculty: Mark K. Fung, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Blood Bank and Transfusion Services, Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, VT; Kevin J. Land, MD, Chief Medical & Scientific Officer, Bonfils Blood Center, Denver, CO; Ralph R. Vassallo, MD, Heritage Division Chief Medical Officer, American Red Cross Blood Services, Philadelphia, PA

Intended Audience: Physicians, laboratory professionals (technologists, supervisors/managers), nurses, Q&RA personnel

Objectives:

• Describe the intended use of the Circular of Information for the Use of Human Blood and Blood Components.
• Recognize important changes to the labeling of blood and blood components incorporated into the August 2009 version of the Circular.

Event Description: The Circular is an important extension to the blood component label which must be available to all medical personnel involved in transfusion processes. Members of the AABB Circular of Information Task Force will provide highlights of the significant changes since the July 2002 version, including incorporation of new testing language, more prominent discussions of TRALI and TACO, a reorganized plasma component section, an expanded further manufacturing section and many other additions and clarifications. 

Event Level: Intermediate

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Targeting Young Adult Donors: Lessons From Outside the Industry, Best Practices From Within the Industry (formerly Finding New Donors)
January 27, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104609

Director/Moderator: Jerry Holmberg, PhD, MT(ASCP)SBB, Senior Advisor for Blood Policy and Executive SecretaryDepartment of Health & Human Services

Faculty: Lauren Ward Larsen, National Blood Donation Advocate, and Chief Story Officer, In The Telling, Inc.

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Describe two ways in which the recession has impacted blood product inventories.
• Describe three issues related to the recruitment of young adult donors (16-20 year olds). 
• List four strategies used to retain first time young-adult blood donors.
• Describe five new ideas your blood center could employ if you “borrowed” from both blood-related and non-blood-related industries.

Event Description: This audio conference will be presented by Lauren Larsen, a 25-year marketing veteran with nearly 10 years experience as a National Blood Donation Advocate, consultant, and frequent keynote speaker. She will discuss the challenges of and strategies for targeting and retaining the 16 — 22 year-old donor base, drawing on "best practices" she has seen implemented at a variety of blood centers during her 7-year speaking tour across the U.S.  Larsen will also offer "food for thought" in the form of applicable approaches to young adult marketing that industries unrelated to blood collections employ and demonstrate their applicability to blood donation recruitment and retention.  If the recession and downsizing of corporations has negatively impacted your collections (it has), can products like Pepsi-Cola, Nintendo video games, and college textbooks help us make up for those losses?  Answer: they can!

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Blood Banking in Developing Nations**
February 3, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104610

Director/Moderator: Meghan Delaney, DO, Assistant Medical Director, Puget Sound Blood Center

Faculty: James P. Reilly, Division Director, AABB Division of Global Development

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Describe the indications for blood transfusion in developing nations.
• Review the challenges of blood banking and transfusion medicine in developing nations.
• Explain approaches to assisting developing nations in their goal of a safe and available blood supply.

Event Description: Developing nations face many challenges in health care, including having a safe and available blood supply. The blood supply goals of developing nations are similar to the rest of the world: have a sustainable, volunteer-based blood supply that is safe from transfusion transmitted disease. In 2004, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was appropriated to fund global AIDS education, treatment and research. AABB, working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was tasked with improvement and/or creation of five countries’ blood services — Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and South Africa. AABB’s work in Africa will be discussed as well as country specific stories of creating sustainable blood services.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Employee Engagement and Retention: Making the Connection
February 9, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 1005

Director/Moderator: Laurie McGraw, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, CPLP, Director, Education & Training, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center

Faculty: Trish Callam, MT(ASCP), Director, Partners in Caring, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System; Carol Jennings, Director, Organizational Development and Training and Spiritual Leadership Institute, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Identify the drivers of employee engagement.
• Describe the connection between employee engagement and retention.
• Recognize the impact retention has on the organization.
• Identify steps to take now to improve employee retention.

Event Description: Successful leaders understand the impact of retaining good employees in their business and do not make the assumption that employees are satisfied and will not leave the organization. Research shows that engaged employees are more productive, more customer-focused and more likely to withstand temptations to leave. The most successful organizations make engagement an ongoing priority, understanding the connection between engagement and the organization’s bottom line. In this program, supervisors will learn the drivers of employee engagement and how to apply them to improve retention. They will discover the five retention mistakes employers frequently make and learn the steps to improve employee retention immediately.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Changes to CT Standards*
February 10, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104611

Director/Moderator: Doug Padley, MT(ASCP), Development Coordinator, Mayo Clinic

Faculty: Janice Davis -Sproul, MAS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Cell Therapy Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Medicine; Magali Fontaine, MD, PhD, Associate Director for Transfusion Services/Blood Center of Stanford University 

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs

Objectives:

• Explain the rationale for the revised requirements.
• Explain ways to implement the new and revised requirements.
• Identify existing policies, processes and procedures that may need change in order to conform to the 4th edition.

Event Description: This program introduces the 4th edition of Standards for Cellular Therapy Product Services. The speakers will summarize the new and revised requirements incorporated into the 4th edition. In addition, the rationale for the changes will be reviewed.

Event Level: Intermediate
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference.

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Problem Solving: It’s Not All About the Reactions**
February 24, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104612

Director/Moderator: Shelvi McFadden, MT(ASCP), Transfusion Service Supervisor, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center

Faculty: Lynne Uhl, MD, Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Teresa Harris, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQA, CQIA(ASQ), Senior Associate, Immunohemtalogy Reference Laboratory, American Red Cross

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Identify how the patient’s clinical history may drive serologic investigations and transfusion strategies.
• Review the problem solving steps that need to be completed for every serologic workup to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Describe how transfusions, transplants and therapies may affect the serologic picture.

Event Description: Sometimes patient samples may present confusing, complex and conflicting serologic findings. In other patients with straight-forward-appearing serology, there may be information that would drive the experienced clinician and/or technologist to question the serology results. In both of these cases, the clinical and serologic history, current therapies and additional serologic investigation will assist the clinician in making informed decisions regarding patient treatment and management. This presentation will include case studies illustrating the problem solving process.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
**ABCP Approved.

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Organ Donors as Tissue Donors
March 10, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104613

Director: A. Bradley Eisenbrey, MD, PhD, Director, HLA Laboratory, Gift of Life Michigan

Moderator: Melanie Champion, MBA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Manager, Blood Bank, Yale-New Haven Hospital

Faculty: Glenn Ramsey, MD, Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University; A. Bradley Eisenbrey, MD, PhD, Director, HLA Laboratory, Gift of Life Michigan

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs

Objectives:

• Review testing requirement differences for organ and tissue donors.
• Identify potential complications caused by differences between organ and tissue donor testing requirements.
• Discuss communication issues with combined organ and tissue donors.

Event Description: Most organ donors are also tissue donors. Requirements for testing for transmissible diseases are very different between organ and tissue donors and this presents potential for delays, discrepant replicate test results and communication failures. This audioconference will present the distinct clinical and regulatory requirements for donor testing for organ and tissue donors and the frequently encountered complications caused by the differences.

Event Level: Intermediate  

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Distance Education: Is it an Answer to the Personnel Shortage?
March 24, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104614

Director/Moderator: Janet L. Vincent, MS, SBB(ASCP), Education Coordinator, University of Texas Medical Branch

Faculty: Nancy Lang, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Reference Laboratory Supervisor, Community Blood Center/Community Tissue Services; Vicki S. Freeman, PhD, MT(ASCP)SC, FACB, Chair, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Professor, University of Texas Medical Branch; Taresa Moore, MT(ASCP)SBB, Supervisor, University of Texas Medical Branch Transfusion Service

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Discuss ways distance education can be used to overcome personnel shortages.
• List potential outcomes from different educational programs.
• Evaluate the impact of distance education on the work force.
• Identify problems found in distance education.

Event Description: Education using the internet has changed the normal paradigm of face-to-face lectures. With creativity and innovation, more people can have access to education and training. Along with change comes unique problems or concerns; distance education is not immune from problems. Universities and Specialist in Blood Banking programs are developing more distance education programs for different types of students. This session will present how one university uses distance education at the medical technology level, review the results of a distance Specialist in Blood Bank Technology program and examine the opinions of a clinical rotation supervisor regarding problems encountered in on-line learning.

Event Level: Basic  

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Molecular Approaches to Rh Problems**
March 31, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104615

Director/Moderator: Kristina Williams, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQIA, CQA(ASQ), Manager, American Red Cross IRL Operational Support

Faculty: Sunitha Vege, MS, Supervisor, American Red Cross; Rebecca Bullock, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Immunohematology Reference Lab and Freezing Lab, American Red Cross

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

• Differentiate partial versus weak D with molecular genotyping and the molecular backgrounds related to Rh variants.
• Describe the resolution of RhD reagent typing discrepancies using molecular testing.
• Review potential scenarios where Rh genotyping is useful.
• Discuss selected cases where molecular test results enhanced serological investigation.

Event Description: Recent advances in Rh molecular testing have greatly expanded our knowledge of this complex blood group system. The use of molecular testing can be used to resolve RhD reagent typing discrepancies. This program will cover specific examples of when molecular testing can be used to enhance and resolve challenging serologic investigations. Background information on the RH gene will be presented with supporting case scenarios.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
**ABCP Approved.

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Introducing Project Management to Your Organization: Identifying Financial Sponsorship Commitment, Managing Change and Developing Expertise**
April 7, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104616

Director/Moderator: Dennis Harpool, MT(ASCP)SBB, Vice President Manufacturing Systems, Blood Systems, Inc.

Faculty: Becky Tipton, PMP(PMI), Director, Project Management, Blood Systems, Inc.; JoAnn Garner, PMP, Senior Project Manager, Manufacturing Systems, Blood Systems Inc.

Intended Audience: Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs

Objectives:

• Identify key elements to consider in planning the start of project management in an organization.
• Pinpoint successful start-up techniques that avoid pitfalls.
• Select successful project managers and teams.

Event Description: This program will focus on techniques for successfully introducing project management standards into an organization. It will discuss several approaches and the keys to success for each. The speakers will present a specific example of lessons learned in the execution of a first-time project. Focus will be on the approach used and future directions to ensure ongoing success.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Communication Skills: Making it All Work From a Distance
April 13, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (ET)
Program # 1006

Director: Dina Hannah, MBA/HCM, BS, MT(ASCP) H, SBB, CIPP, Vice President, Quality and Compliance/Privacy Officer, ARUP Laboratories

Moderator: Tom Choi, BS, Executive Director, United Blood Services

Faculty: Mary Meeker, Donor Care Manager, United Blood Services; William B. Henry, MBA, Director of Center Operations, United Blood Services

Intended Audience: Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Assess the challenges and opportunities related to working with multiple satellites in outlying communities.
• Discuss tools used to assist supervisory staff in satellite operations to feel empowered and part of the team.
• Effectively involve your medical community so that the blood center is seen as a part of the “medical community” and not a vendor.

Event Description: This audio conference will give an overview of how a regional blood center effectively communicates with three of the largest segments of the operation, staff, donors, and hospital customers, in a business area that covers approximately 660 square miles. With multiple draw sites and customers as far as 300 miles away, this center has developed ways to successfully deliver necessary messages to each constituency.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Complications of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation*
April 14, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104617
Developed in conjunction with the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Director/Moderator: Paul Martin, MD, Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Professor of Medicine, University of Washington

Faculty: Hillard Lazarus, MD, Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Blood & Marrow Transplant Program, University Hospitals Case Medical Center; Michael Streiff, MD, Director, Anticoagulation Management Service and Outpatient Clinic, Staff Physician, Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Hemophilia Treatment Center, Associate Professor of Medicine; George B. McDonald, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Washington, Head, Gastroenterology/Hepatology Section, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses

Objectives:

• Evaluate and manage thrombotic microangiopathy after hematopoietic cell transplantation.
• Assess and manage infectious hepatitis in hematopoietic cell transplantation in both donor and recipient considerations.

Event Description: This program will explore complications of hematopoietic cell transplantation that have relevance to blood bank practices and the use of blood bank resources. Topics to be covered include thrombotic microangiopathy, bleeding and thrombosis, and infectious hepatitis. Instructional methods will include review of pathophysiological mechanisms, published data and management algorithms.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference.

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Coding and Reimbursement
April 21, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104618

Director/Moderator: Theresa Wiegmann, JD, Director, Public Policy, AABB

Faculty: Suzanne Butch, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, Administrative Manager, Blood Bank and Transfusion Service, University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Review new coding and billing rules, Medicare guidelines and instructions related to transfusion medicine services.
• Discuss transfusion services billing and reimbursement issues affecting hospitals today.
• Determine helpful ways to keep up with constantly evolving coding and reimbursement changes.

Event Description: Payment for blood and related services is subject to a complex array of diffi cult to understand coding and billing policies. In this program, new coding and billing rules for blood products and related services – including the latest Medicare policies – will be explained. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about transfusion medicine billing issues.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Update on Platelet Transfusions**
April 28, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104619

Director/Moderator: Meghan Delaney, DO, Assistant Medical Director, Puget Sound Blood Center

Faculty: Mike F. Murphy, MD, FRCP, FRCPath, Consultant Haematologist, John Radcliffe Hospital; Sherrill Slichter, MD, Director, Platelet Transfusion Research, Puget Sound Blood Center, Professor of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, CEOs/CFOs, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Determine the difference between prophylactic and therapeutic platelet transfusions.
• Review the effects that prophylactic versus therapeutic platelet transfusion strategies have on hemostasis and platelet transfusion events.
• Evaluate how the dose of transfused prophylactic platelets affects hemostasis.
• Measure how platelet dose influences the total number of platelets transfused and the number of transfusion events.

Event Description: Patients with hypoproliferative thrombocytopenia are at an increased risk of bleeding. The standard approach to prevent bleeding is to give prophylactic platelet transfusions at platelet counts of =10,000/µL, but the optimal strategy is unclear. Randomized controlled trials have explored the effects of prophylactic platelet doses on hemostasis, and other trials are investigating giving platelet transfusions only when bleeding is recognized; i.e. therapeutic platelet transfusions. In the PLADO study, a three-arm prophylactic platelet transfusion dose trial assigned patients to receive all their platelet transfusions at a median dose (2.2 × 10¹¹ platelets/m2), lower dose (½ the median dose), or higher dose (2 times the median dose). The primary outcome measures were hemostasis and post-transfusion platelet responses. The speakers in this program will discuss the PLADO results and their implications for clinical practice, as well as the rationale, design, and preliminary results of an ongoing “therapeutic only” versus prophylactic platelet transfusion trial.

Event Level: Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Addressing Common Citations: AABB and CAP**
May 5, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104620

Director/Moderator: Veronica Lewis, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Assistant Professor/Director, SBB Certificate Program, Rush University

Faculty: Holly Rapp, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQA(ASQ)CMQ/OE, Director, Accreditation and Quality, AABB; Denise Driscoll, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Director, Laboratory Accreditation Program, College of American Pathologists

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• List the most frequent nonconformances to AABB Standards noted by AABB assessors in 2009.
• List the most common deficiencies to CAP checklist requirements noted by CAP assessors in 2009.
• Identify ways to correct common citations and attain compliance.

Event Description: The AABB and the College of American Pathologists accreditation programs provide assessment teams to assist in the continual improvement of laboratory quality, safety, and operations. This audioconference will present the most common citations encountered by AABB and CAP assessors in 2009 and provide suggestions on how to avoid noncompliance. Experts will help you identify best practices based on accreditation standards to maintain and enhance your facility’s technical performance.

Event Level: Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Practices in Cellular Therapy: Video and Discussion*
May 12, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104621

Director/Moderator: David McKenna, MD, Scientific & Medical Director, University of Minnesota

Faculty: Robert Preti, PhD, President, CSO, Laboratory Director, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ; Donna Regan, MT(ASCP)SBB, Executive Director, St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center; John McMannis, PhD, Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center; Mary Beth Fisk, MT(ASCP)(AMT), CTBS, CQA, Vice President of Development Tissue Services, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Explain several techniques/practices in the cell therapy lab such as aseptic technique.
• Review umbilical cord blood processing techniques such as post-thaw manipulation.
• Compare approaches to environmental monitoring.

Event Description: This audioconference will include discussion and video demonstration of a variety of techniques and practices including umbilical cord blood washing, aseptic technique, and environmental monitoring.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference.

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Effective Auditing of Blood Ordering and Utilization**
May 19, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104622

Director/Moderator: Jerry Holmberg, PhD, MT(ASCP)SBB, Senior Advisor for Blood Policy and Executive Secretary, Department of Health & Human Services

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Describe the importance of assessments of blood ordering and utilization.
• Recall the general principle of audits.
• Describe the value and use of numerator and denominator data in monitoring the blood ordering and utilization process.
• Explain the importance of blood measures and the collection of data in assessments of blood ordering and utilization.

Event Description: Assessment of blood bank and transfusion services is a Quality System Essential that requires a well developed strategy for data collection and the analysis of the data. The importance of blood ordering and utilization assessment through monitoring and audits are not only critical in patient outcome but also are needed in management of limited resources. While ordering of blood products is the responsibility of the physician, the ordering and utilization of blood products can be greatly influenced by the medical guidance from the blood bank or transfusion service. This audioconference will provide principles of audits including data collection, measurement thresholds that trigger an audit, analysis of data, and process improvement. Case studies will be discussed.

Event Level: Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Use of Electronic Tools in Monitoring Blood Utilization and Evaluating Transfusion Practices**
June 2, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104623

Director/Moderator: Jerry Holmberg, PhD, MT(ASCP)SBB, Senior Advisor for Blood Policy and Executive Secretary, Department of Health & Human Services

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Explain the value of blood measures or indicators.
• Describe the value and use of numerator and denominator data in the monitoring and auditing processes.
• List possible tools to facilitate in the data collection and analysis of the data for process and outcome improvement.

Event Description: Process and outcome improvement in blood ordering and utilization is achievable through analysis of data collected. Establishment of blood measures or indicators that are evidence-based and accepted by attending physicians are parameters for data collection. Collection of the data can be tedious and time consuming; however, manual or automated tools can facilitate the process. Tools are also available either through the information technology system or office computer software for analysis of data. The audioconference will discuss electronic tools that can facilitate data collection and analysis in performing audits.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Interviewing, Selecting and Retaining Staff
June 8, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 1007

Director/ Moderator: Dina Hannah, MBA/HCM, BS, MT(ASCP) H, SBB, CIPP, Vice President, Quality and Compliance/Privacy Officer, ARUP Laboratories

Faculty: Von Madsen, MHRM, SPHR, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources Manager, ARUP Laboratories; Jackie Lohdefinck, BS, SPHR, Human Resources Manager, ARUP Laboratories

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Design interview questions that separate the stars from the rest.
• Determine a simple way to measure quality of hire.
• Shorten the learning curve by designing training programs that engage and encourage your employees from the start.
• Measure retention and turnover as part of your quality improvement program.

Event Description: Managing people is not an intuitive skill for a career scientist. We are educated in a craft that is distinctly right or wrong, black or white, and we are meticulously trained to eliminate the grey world between. When thrown into a management role which is inherently murky, we may lack the tools needed to succeed. Join us for a session focusing on tools and techniques that will make your management job easier, improve your team’s success, and expand the quality of your patient care delivery. In this program we will explore how to hire the best candidates and train them for optimal success. You will also learn some easy tools to help you better manage your recruiting and retention process.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Use of Chemicals in Antibody Identification
June 16, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104624

Director/Moderator: Monica LaSarre, MT(ASCP)SBB, Transfusion Services/Reference Lab Manager, Bonfils Blood Center

Faculty: Susan Johnson, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Immunohematology Services, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Inc; Peggy Spruell, BS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Day Shift Supervisor, Consultation & Reference Department, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center

Intended Audience: Scientists, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

 Objectives:

• Explain the effect that chemicals such as proteolytic enzymes, DTT, ZZAP, chloroquine diphosphate, and AET have on certain blood group antigens.
• Describe the applications of using chemicals as part of the red cell antibody detection process.
• Apply the use of chemicals to interpret antibody identification testing.

Event Description: In resolving the cause of a positive red cell antibody screen, many tools are employed as part of the antibody identification process. Use of chemicals to denature or enhance the expression of selected red cell antigens can be one such tool. This presentation will cover the principle of chemical use in enhancing or denaturing red cell antigens. It will also explore case studies where the use of chemicals aided in successful identification of a red cell antibody.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate  

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Revisiting Bone Marrow Collection*
June 23, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104625

Director/Moderator: Michele Sugrue, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Coordinator, Research Programs, University of Florida

Faculty: Michele H. Fox, MD, Director, Cell Therapy & Transfusion Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Denis-Claude Roy, MD, Director, Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Scientifi c Director, CRHMR, University of Montréal

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Discuss the scientific and therapeutic rationale for recent trends utilizing harvested bone marrow as a source of progenitor cells.
• Describe the challenges of ensuring successful bone marrow collections and approaches to obtaining quality cellular products.

Event Description: Peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood have become the most common sources of progenitor cells; however, bone marrow harvest, the original source of progenitor cells for clinical use, is once again becoming a preferred source for a variety of treatments. Both within laboratories and at bedsides, cellular therapy utilizing harvested bone marrow has recently shown success in treatments for tissue repair, immunologic response modification and cellular metabolic function restoration. This program will address issues related to bone marrow harvest technique including safe practices, personnel competency maintenance, and current available equipment. In addition, bone marrow product requirements and characteristics related to novel cellular therapies will be discussed.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference. 

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Cord Blood Collection Models*
July 21, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104627

Director: Mary Beth Fisk, MT(ASCP)(AMT), CTBS, CQA, VP of Development Tissue Services, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center

Moderator: Donna Regan, MT(ASCP)SBB, Executive Director, St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center

Faculty: Mary Beth Fisk, MT(ASCP)(AMT), CTBS, CQA, VP of Development Tissue Services, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center; Rodica Ciubotariu, MD, PhD, Associate Director, New York Blood Center; Kathy Mueckl, RN, Nurse Coordinator, St. Louis Cord Blood Bank

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Describe the current methods of cord blood collection.
• Illustrate the risks and benefits of varied collection protocols for cord blood.
• Define methods of qualifying cord blood collection personnel.
• Outline the regulatory requirements for cord blood collection.

Event Level: Intermediate
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference. 

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Customer Service and Donor Satisfaction
July 28, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104628

Director/Moderator: Dennis Harpool, MT(ASCP)SBB, Vice President Manufacturing Systems, Blood Systems, Inc.

Faculty: Martin Gomez, Regional Donor Recruitment Manager, United Blood Services; Carla Peterson, MPA, Regional Director of Donor Recruitment, United Blood Services; Lesli Asay, Donor Recruitment Director, United Blood Services

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Determine the tools coordinators need to succeed in their positions.
• Promote continuous improvement in customer service and donor satisfaction through communication.
• Assess how technology-based communication is being used in blood banking.
• Review customer service in the diversity arena.

Event Description: This session is designed to present proven methods for communicating with blood drive coordinators and donors. Strategies will be offered for creating strong service based on coordinator relationships that produce successful and productive blood drives. Initiatives will be highlighted which build donor, sponsor and coordinator loyalty. Ideas will be shared regarding communication technology advancements that have allowed for more robust information-based packages available for sponsors and donors. The speaker will also present on excelling in customer service in a diverse environment.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Performance Management
August 3, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 1008

Director/Moderator: Dina Hannah, MBA/HCM, BS, MT(ASCP) H, SBB, CIPP, Vice President, Quality and Compliance/Privacy Officer, ARUP Laboratories

Faculty: Von Madsen, MHRM, SPHR, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources Manager, ARUP Laboratories; Jackie Lohdefinck, BS, SPHR, Human Resources Manager, ARUP Laboratories

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Create performance standards so employees know what is expected.
• Review how to successfully manage a former peer.
• Determine the basics needed to manage employees from every generation.
• Evaluate the difference between disciplinary action and corrective action and how to use them for optimal success.
• Discover how to minimize risk in terminations and how to proceed when you’ve “had enough.”

Event Description: In this session we will explore how to set and manage expectations that empower employees to work independently; lead and motivate employees from various generations, and take corrective action as needed with minimal risk.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate 

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Collection of HPC Apheresis Products: Improving the Quality and Outcomes*
August 4, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104629
Developed in conjunction with the American Society for Apheresis.

Director/Moderator: Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Faculty: Jeffrey L. Winters, MD, Director, Therapeutic Apheresis Unit/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship Program, Mayo Clinic; Michael L. Linenberger, MD, Medical Director, Apheresis & Cellular Therapy, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance; Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Intended Audience: Technologist, Physicians, Nurses

Objectives:

• Identify the most critical variables involved in HPC apheresis collection.
• Recognize issues related to collection of challenging patient/donors.
• Review the patients’ outcomes related to the quality of HPC apheresis products.
• Define methods to improve collection efficiency.

Event Description: HPC apheresis products are the primary source of grafts in autologous and allogeneic adult hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The quality of the product has an impact not only on engraftment but also on the long-term outcomes of the patients. This program will focus on different parameters that affect the quality of the products as well as the ways to improve product quality. In addition, donor characteristics in both the autologous and allogeneic setting and their effect on the collection will be reviewed.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference. 

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Transfusion Management of Patients on Extracorporeal Circuits**
August 11, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104630

Director/Moderator: Meghan Delaney, DO, Assistant Medical Director, Puget Sound Blood Center

Faculty: Bruce Spiess, MD, FAHA, Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Virginia; Thomas Brogan, MD, Associate Clinical Director, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Clinical Co-Director, Patient Transport, Clinical Director, ECMO Services

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Review ECMO and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) theory and indications.
• Determine the special transfusion needs of patients undergoing ECMO or CPB.
• Identify and review the bleeding and coagulation issues experienced by patients on ECMO and CPB.

Event Description: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) functions to support pulmonary and cardiac systems to allow them to recover from illness or until surgical correction can be made. It continuously pumps blood through an oxygenator that imitates gas exchange in the lungs. It is most commonly used in pediatric patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) functions as circulatory and pulmonary support to oxygenate and circulate blood. It allows for the ability to warm and cool the patient as well as perfuse vital organs while the central circulation is being surgically corrected and/or changed. This program will describe the theory and indications for ECMO and CPB. The complex transfusion support of patients undergoing CPB and ECMO will be discussed. Mechanisms for adverse events, such as clotting and bleeding will be explained.

Event Level: Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Hot Topics in Transfusion Medicine**
August 25, 2010 (Formerly Scheduled for July 14, 2010)
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104626

Director/Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Independent Consultant

Faculty: John D. Roback, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Paul D. Mintz, MD, Director, Clinical Laboratories and Blood Bank, University of Virginia; Paul Ness, MD, Director of Transfusion Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital Blood Bank

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Name and discuss current issues in transfusion.
• Describe potential interventions as outlined by the presenters.

Event Description: What issues will be the most pressing ones in transfusion medicine in 2010? Three experts in the field will discuss timely issues and answer questions from the audience. Paul D. Mintz, MD, editor of the AABB text Transfusion Therapy: Clinical Principles and Practice; John Roback, MD, PhD, editor of the AABB Technical Manual; and Paul Ness, MD, editor of the journal TRANSFUSION, will select from topics submitted by the audience shortly before the audioconference that represent the current problems facing physicians and technologists in transfusion. Join us for an opportunity to hear from the experts regarding pressing subjects in the field.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
**ABCP Approved. 

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Platelet Antibody Case Studies**
September 1, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104631

Director/Moderator: Michele Anastasi, MT(ASCP)SBB, Off Tour Supervisor, Hines VA Hospital PLMS (113)

Faculty: Terry Gernsheimer, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Puget Sound Blood Center; Brian Curtis, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Technical Director, Platelet & Neutrophil Immunology Lab, BloodCenter of Wisconsin

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists

Objectives:

• Describe platelet alloantibodies, autoantibodies and drug induced antibodies.
• Present current immunologic testing methods of platelet antibodies and technical problems associated with these assays.
• Review factors contributing to platelet transfusion refractoriness.
• Assess therapeutic approaches to support hemostasis in the alloimmunized patient.

Event Description: This program will provide an overview of basic platelet antibodies including allo-, auto- and drug-induced antibodies and the testing methods used to detect and identify various types of platelet antibodies, as well as provide some insight as to what sorts of technical problems can be seen when performing platelet testing. Review methods to prevent alloimmunization to evaluate the relative effectiveness of leukocyte-reduction, UV-B irradiation, and reducing antigen exposure with single-donor platelets for decreasing the incidence of alloimmune platelet refractoriness. In addition, the speaker will answer questions such as: What leads to refractoriness? Can alloimmunization be prevented (e.g. the TRAP trial data)? What products are the best for patients with antibodies that may or may not have refractory issues? Does ABO type play a role in patients with antibodies?

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
**ABCP Approved.

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Continuing Education on a Limited Budget
September 22, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104632

Director/Moderator: Veronica Lewis, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Assistant Professor/Director, SBB Certificate Program, Rush University

Faculty: Cristina Compean, MEd, Technical Instruction Designer, Blood Systems, Inc, Certified Instructional Designer/Developer; Phyllis Kirchner, MT(ASCP)SH, SBB, Clinical Education Specialist, BloodCenter of Wisconsin

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Discuss the purpose of providing educational opportunities to blood bankers.
• Identify web-based applications that can be used for the development of cost effective education and training programs and discuss how these applications can be incorporated into the blood bank.
• Identify and discuss cost reducing methods for preparing blood samples for blood bank education and training.
• Select strategies to overcome resource limitations that impede the development of quality education and training programs.

Event Description: In an environment of continuing budget constraints, providing quality educational opportunities for the blood banker is a challenge. This audioconference will present tools that can be used for blood bank education and training programs, keeping in mind time, financial and other resource limitations. Use of current web-based applications and how they can be adapted to blood bank education will be discussed. The appropriate use and preparation of blood samples will be reviewed.

Event Level: Intermediate  

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Recruiting for Specialty Products
October 6, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104633

Director: Patricia Jost Golden, RN, HP(ASCP)

Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Independent Consultant

Faculty: Jed Gorlin, MD, Medical Director, Memorial Blood Centers

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• List patient populations that may benefit from the recruitment of phenotype specific matched blood donors.
• Describe the compatibility issues involved in transfusion of blood between ethnic groups.
• List two strategies used in the recruitment of phenotype specific blood donors.
• Define the term “blood donor buddy.”

Event Description: Special Patients, Special Donors, Special Products. This audio conference will include a discussion of issues that identify certain patient populations that may require the development of targeted donor recruitment programs. It will also include a discussion of the challenges of donor recruitment for specific populations and special products, such as for sickle cell patients (pediatric and adult), whole blood and red cell exchange, and some strategies designed to meet those challenges.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Personnel Matters: What Supervisors Should Know**
October 13, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104634

Director/Moderator: Laurie McGraw, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, CPLP, Director, Education & Training, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center

Faculty: Michael Muskat, JD, Partner, Muskat, Martinez & Mahony, LLP

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Provide an overview of significant employment laws with which supervisors should be aware.
• Discuss what supervisors should know about labor unions and union organizing efforts.
• Review the importance of appropriate performance documentation in preventing and defending against employment claims.

Event Description: Supervisors have a challenging enough task to engage and retain a workforce without having to deal with the consequences that may result from personnel issues related to employment laws. To avoid problems of this nature, supervisors need a basic understanding of significant employment laws such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and, for federal contractors, the Affirmative Action obligations under Executive Order 11246. This program will familiarize supervisors with the basic information about each law and suggest when it is appropriate to consult with one’s Human Resources department. Secondly, the program will briefly review what supervisors should know about labor unions and what they can or cannot do in a unionizing effort. Finally, participants will learn how to document employee performance in a manner that effectively prevents employment claims and makes such claims easier to defend.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate
**ABCP Approved. 

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Cord Blood Unit Selection: Getting the Perfect Graft*
October 20, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104635

Director/Moderator: David McKenna, MD, Scientific & Medical Director, University of Minnesota

Faculty: Deborah Liney, MBA, CHTC, Technical Director, Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Claudio Brunstein, MD, Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Determine approaches to identifying an umbilical cord blood unit(s) for patient transplant.
• Review quality indicators of umbilical cord blood units.
• Describe the complexity of the umbilical cord blood unit search process.

Event Description: This audioconference will thoroughly discuss the process involved in identifying, requesting, and receiving the optimal umbilical cord blood graft for a patient.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced
*Cellular Therapy-focused audioconference.

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Time Management: Tips for Excelling as a Manager/Supervisor
October 26, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 1009

Director/Moderator: Laurie McGraw, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, CPLP, Director, Education & Training, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center

Faculty: Jenny Sharrer, Master of Science in Human Behavior, Training and Organizational Development Consultant, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Determine if you are managing your time to effectively direct, coach, and develop your staff.
• Identify the “big rocks,” the critical few items that if you do first will lead to less stress and higher productivity.
• Identify items that you want to put into your Quadrant 2 (those things that are important, but not urgent).

Event Description: Some managers/supervisors plan to be successful while others just hope for success. Approximately 80% of the population has goals. Of those individuals, approximately 40% write their goals down. The number gets very small when we consider that only about 3% of us time-activate or “calendarize” the tasks required to achieve our goals so we can follow through to make them happen. Planning is bringing the future into the present so we can make our desired future happen! Questions to ask yourself to ensure you are not wasting your time or that of your team members include: “How am I doing on managing our time?” “Do we have clear, prioritized goals?” and “Are we doing what we need to do to have our goals become reality?” This program will help you answer these questions.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate 

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Blood Management Overview: A Hospital Perspective
October 27, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104636

Director/Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Independent Consultant

Faculty: Arthur Bracey, MD, Medical Director, Transfusion Services, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital; Timothy Hannon, MD, MBA, Medical Director, St. Vincent Hospital

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Describe how an interdisciplinary approach to blood management was implemented in a hospital.
• Cite the current references for appropriate blood use presented by the speakers.
• List strategies to avoid blood waste.

Event Description: Blood bankers are increasingly involved in helping clinicians understand how to use products and also when not to use products. Since its establishment in 2001, the blood management program at St. Vincent Hospital in Indiana has reduced hospital transfusions by over 30%. The medical director of the program will discuss the details of implementing this kind of strategic blood management program. The medical director of transfusion services at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston will share the application of a blood management program in a large surgical hospital using an interdisciplinary approach. As blood management achieves new awareness with The Joint Commission, all involved with the distribution and utilization of blood will want to attend this audio conference.

Event Level: Intermediate  

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Transfusion Management of Obstetric Hemorrhage
November 3, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104637

Director/Moderator: Shelvi McFadden, MT(ASCP), Transfusion Service Supervisor, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center

Faculty: Evelyn Lockhart, MD, Medical Director, American Red Cross, Carolinas Region; Kathy O’Connell, MN, RN, Perinatal Clinical Nurse Specialist, University of Washington Medical Center

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• List common causes of OB patients’ hemorrhages and discuss preventive measures for these occurrences.
• Review special transfusion requirements for OB patients.
• Determine the need for an OB transfusion protocol.

Event Description: Obstetric (OB) patients often present with a normal delivery and birth. There are no complications, and mother and infant usually go home within a day or two. But what happens when things do not go as planned? A bleeding obstetric patient may present with many challenges that are not easy to handle. This audioconference will look at why OB patients hemorrhage and discuss providing OB transfusion protocols.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced  

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Antibodies: Coming in from the Cold**
November 17, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104638

Directors: Kristina Williams, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQIA, CQA(ASQ), Manager, American Red Cross IRL Operational Support; Michele Anastasi, MT(ASCP)SBB, Off Tour Supervisor, Hines VA Hospital PLMS (113)

Moderator: Michele Anastasi, MT(ASCP)SBB, Off Tour Supervisor, Hines VA Hospital PLMS (113)

Faculty: Geralyn Meny, MD, Medical Director, American Red Cross Blood Services

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Perfusionists

Objectives:

• Describe typical cold agglutinins found in blood banking.
• Determine the impact cold agglutinins have on typical blood bank serology testing.
• Discuss methods used to rule out other significant antibodies.

Event Description: This audioconference will provide a brief overview of what a cold agglutinin, both allo and auto, is in blood banking. It will look into ways that blood banks are currently resolving cold-reacting allo and auto antibody issues, in particular, how blood banks can determine if any other clinically significant antibodies are present. Finally, it will look into the typical clinical issues associated with cold agglutinins, especially in situations involving a cardiac patient.

Event Level: Intermediate
**ABCP Approved.

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Succession Planning
December 7, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 1010

Director/Moderator: Dennis Harpool, SBB(ASCP), Vice President Manufacturing Systems, Blood Systems, Inc.

Faculty: Larry R. Reese, MBA, Vice President, Human Resources, Blood Systems, Inc.; Don Colvin, MAOM, SPHR, Organizational Development Manager, Blood Systems, Inc.

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs

Objectives:

• Discuss the importance of senior leadership support in a succession planning program.
• Review a succession planning methodology.
• Describe ongoing issues and challenges one may face when setting up a succession planning program.

Event Description: The ability to sustain a steady supply of needed talent is a challenge facing all organizations, no matter the industry. Every organization knows that as their workforce ages they need to have some sort of succession planning process in place. Blood Systems Incorporated (BSI) has a program that is now part of the culture, is supported by senior leadership and is starting to see some fruits from their efforts. This presentation will include how the company mission connects values to succession planning. It will also discuss the BSI process and look at their successes and results and how succession planning fits into the overall leadership development program.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Lean and Donor/Lean Manufacturing
December 8, 2010
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET) 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM (GMT)
Program # 104639

Director/Moderator: Loyce Holmes, MSM-PM, Business Design Manager, Haemonetics

Faculty: Stacy Sime, Vice President of Operations, The Blood Center of Iowa

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs

Objectives:

• Determine how lean principles can be successfully applied to recruitment processes.
• Identify push-pull effects of lean practices across department lines.
• Evaluate pitfalls associated with cross departmental lean practices.

Event Description: This program will demonstrate how to strive for balance while operating in a lean environment. The speaker will discuss strategies, challenges and pitfalls of applying the principles of lean manufacturing processes to recruitment processes in a blood center environment. Hear how one blood center adopted the principles of the “push-pull” concept identified in lean manufacturing processes to their mobile blood drive collection efforts.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Continuing Education Credit

Access your continuing education credit certificates online!

All audioconference participants will be granted access to their CE credits and attendance verifications online after completing a short evaluation. All credits will be personalized, tracked and maintained online so that participants can access their records at any time. Simply fill in the attendance sheet with the necessary information (including an email address for each participant) and visit the Live Learning Center at www.aabb.org at least 48 hours after the audioconference. Only those participants who signed the attendance sheet will be granted the appropriate continuing education credits.

Continuing Medical Education Credit: AABB is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education, provider number 0000381, to provide continuing medical education for physicians. AABB designates each audioconference for a maximum of 1.5 contact hours in Category 1 credit toward the American Medical Association Physicians’ Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credit hours spent in the activity.

California Nurses: AABB is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider number 4341, as a provider of continuing nursing education activities. AABB designates each audioconference for a maximum of 1.8 contact hours. California nurses must provide a personal signature and other required information on the attendance form.

California Clinical Laboratory Personnel: AABB is an approved accrediting agency for continuing education for California-licensed clinical laboratory personnel. Each audioconference has been approved for a maximum of 1.5 contact hours. AABB’s accrediting agency number is 0011. California clinical laboratory personnel must provide a personal signature and other required information on the attendance form. Credit earned through attendance at audioconferences may be used to fulfill the state requirement for continuing education hours to maintain licensure status.

Florida Clinical Laboratory Personnel: AABB is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel, Provider Number 50-4261-1, as a provider of continuing education programs for Florida-licensed clinical laboratory personnel. Each audioconference has been approved for a maximum of 1.8 contact hours. Florida clinical laboratory personnel must provide a personal signature and other required information on the attendance form.

Perfusionists: Certain AABB audioconferences are approved by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) as a provider of Category 1 credit to those perfusionists who attend audioconferences. ABCP allots a maximum of 1.8 continuing education units for each audioconference. Perfusionists must sign in to verify attendance in order to receive contact hour credit for educational activities. Approved programs are indicated by ** symbol.

Ireland: The Professional Enhancement Program (PEP) of the Irish Academy of Medical Laboratory Sciences will offer credit for AABB audioconferences. PEP registrants who participate within the Blood Transfusion Service Board will receive PEP certificates of attendance at no additional charge.

United Kingdom: The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) in the United Kingdom accredits AABB for Continuing Professional Development. Those who have registered on the IBMS Scheme will earn 0.2 educational category credit towards the annual 4.0 credit requirement. Participants are asked to use reference # TS011N98.

Questions regarding continuing education credits should be directed to the AABB Education Department at +1.301.215.6482 or education@aabb.org.