Project Management: Leading and Guiding Change in the Health Care Setting

January 9, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084564

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

Faculty: Ann Church, PMP, MS-PM, CQA(ASQ), MT(ASCP)SBB, Director of Change Integration, American Red Cross

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/Supervisors, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

• Define basic project management terms and concepts.
• Outline elements of an effective project management operating procedure.
• Recognize potential pitfalls of working projects versus managing projects.
• Identify value-added opportunities to apply basic project management tools and expectations.

Event Description: If your organization uses cross-functional teams to design and/or implement changes, this session is for you. Project management can be an important stop on your journey toward the goal of successful change implementation. Project management tools, concepts, and methods can be added to your current quality tool box for selected application, or it can be an embedded, foundational approach. The speaker for this session has 24 years of health care experience including 20 years within transfusion medicine with the most recent six years focusing on project management.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Component Preparations for Pediatric Patients

January 16, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084565

Director/Moderator: Cynthia White, MHA, SBB(ASCP), MT(AMT), Implementation Consultant, Mediware Information Systems

Faculty: Jacque Tagliere, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; Steven Sloan, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Children’s Hospital Boston

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

Objectives:

• Develop processes for component aliquoting and preparation in an aseptic environment and managing associated data on processes inherent in small-volume transfusions.
• Comprehend advances in medical care that permit survival of severely low birthweight infants and associated risks.
• Evaluate indications for transfusion of blood components and the appropriate choice of components and attributes.

Event Description: The neonatal patient has a unique physiology and undergoes many physiologic changes in the early days and weeks of life. This session will include a discussion of advances, such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), that allow underweight and critically ill infants to survive. This interactive seminar will review emerging technologies, products and processes essential in the selection and preparation of appropriate components for neonatal patients. The seminar will address the importance of developing protocols for small-volume preparations.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Vendor Qualifications: Unique Issues for the Cell Therapy Laboratory*

January 30, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084566

Director/Moderator: Janice Davis-Sproul, MAS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Manager, Cell Therapy Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Faculty: Sheryl A. Tran, Regulatory Coordinator, Mayo Clinic; Angela Ondo, MT(ASCP), Quality Assurance Officer, Cell Therapy Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Hospital
 

Intended Audience: Technologists, Managers/Supervisors, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

• Review the requirements for a vendor qualification program.
• Identify vendors for a cell therapy laboratory.
• Discuss risk- and facility-based approaches to vendor qualification.

Event Description: Vendor qualification is an essential component of a quality program. However, approaches and details vary among cell therapy laboratories. What is sufficient to qualify your donor relevant communicable disease testing laboratory? How much information do you need about the hospital facilities engineer who repairs your freezer or the environmental staff who clean the laboratory? What should you know about an offsite cell therapy product collection facility? These topics will be addressed as the speakers review the requirements and the challenges, and offer practical solutions to vendor qualifications for a cell therapy laboratory.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

*Cellular therapy-focused audioconference.

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Errors and Non-Conformances: How to Document and Re-train

February 6, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084567

Director/Moderator: Lynn A. Emmert, MEd, MT(ASCP)SI, CLS(NCA), Technical Education Supervisor, Puget Sound Blood Center

Faculty: Tammy Winkler, QA Internal Operations Manager, LifeSouth Community Blood Center, Inc.; Elizabeth Oen, AAS, BA, Quality Assurance Manager, Lane Memorial Blood Bank; Lynn A. Emmert, MEd, MT(ASCP)SI, CLS(NCA), Technical Education Supervisor, Puget Sound Blood Centers

Intended Audience: Technologists, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

• Explain approaches that can be used when dealing with an employee who makes repetitive errors that affect product safety, purity or potency.
• Describe the documentation required to record the completion of remedial training.

Event Description: Dealing with an employee who has committed repeated errors on a key procedure can be a stressful and confusing situation. The presenters in this program will discuss the training policies and methods they use in their facilities to deal with the critical issue of employee non-conformance to standard operating procedures. The program will review the training techniques and data collection methods used and the documentation procedures they developed for such occurrences.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Fundamentals and Principles of Leadership

February 12, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 0801

Faculty: J. Daniel Connor, MM, President and CEO, Blood Systems, Inc.

Objectives:

• Gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the concepts of leadership including basic principals, qualifications, traits, roles and responsibilities.
• Describe different leadership styles, including examples of the most commonly used styles.
• Compare and distinguish the roles and responsibilities of leadership versus management.

Event Description: This program introduces the fundamentals of leadership and the importance of what leadership means to an organization, its people and its performance. In this session, there will be presentations on the key concepts and principles of how leadership is practiced. The session will also describe leadership styles and the importance and effectiveness of each style.

Mechanisms and Laboratory Investigation of Drug-Induced Immune Hemolytic Anemia

February 27, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084568

Director/Moderator: Lorne Holland, MD, Associate Director of Transfusion Medicine, University of Colorado

Faculty: George Garratty, PhD, FRCPath, Scientific Director, American Red Cross; Patricia Arndt, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Senior Research Associate, American Red Cross Blood Services

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Describe the different mechanisms of drug-induced hemolysis.
• Identify drugs commonly associated with immune hemolysis.
• List laboratory tests useful for making the diagnosis of drug-induced hemolytic anemia.
• Assess the serologic findings associated with drug-induced hemolytic anemia.

Event Description: Drug-induced hemolytic anemia (DIHA) should be considered whenever any hemolytic anemia is suspected. A vast number of common drugs can cause a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) and, in some patients, this will be associated with significant hemolysis. This session will review correlation of patient history and laboratory data that are essential for the diagnosis of DIHA.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Hematopoietic Cell Donation: Ensuring Safety for the Donor, Product and Recipient*CT

March 5, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084569

Director/Moderator: Michael Linenberger, MD, Medical Director, Apheresis and Cellular Therapy, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

Faculty: Michael Linenberger, MD, Medical Director, Apheresis and Cellular Therapy, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance; Joseph Schwartz, MD, Director, Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy Division of Transfusion Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center; Paul V. O’Donnell, MD, PhD, FACP, Medical Director, Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Service, University of Washington Medical Center, Associate Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Washington

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, Managers/ Supervisors, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

•  Identify the key elements of eligibility and medical suitability determination for allogeneic donor undergoing collection of HPC-A and HPC-M.
•  Describe the risk factors and adverse events associated with mobilization and collection of HPC-A and HPC-M harvest.
•  Discuss the justification process for ineligible donors who are deemed suitable for collection.
•  Analyze the management and reporting of procedure-related adverse events and the documentation, labeling and reporting of product deviations.

Event Description: The process of hematopoietic stem cell donation begins with the assessment of donor eligibility and suitability, proceeds through the safe and efficient collection of the cells, and ends with the proper labeling, handling and distribution of the final product. These steps are required to ensure the well being of the donor, recipient and health care professionals who handle the hematopoietic progenitor cells collected by apheresis (HPC-A) or marrow harvest (HPC-M). In this audioconference, case studies and hypothetical situations will be utilized to highlight and discuss the medical challenges, regulatory implications and management strategies of HPC-A and HPC-M donors with transmissible communicable disease risk factors and/or medical comorbidities. The requirements for documentation and justification of donors with potential disqualifying clinical or laboratory features will be reviewed as well as the proper steps for documentation, labeling and, when necessary, investigation of products that deviate from accepted standards.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

*Cellular therapy-focused audioconference.

Content for this program was developed in cooperation with the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA).

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Serological to Molecular Testing: Points to Consider for Successful Conversion

March 19, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084570

Director/Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Vice President, Laboratory Services, Indiana Blood Center

Faculty: Marion E. Reid, PhD, FIBMS, Director, Immunohematology and Immunochemistry Laboratories, New York Blood Center; Joann Moulds, PhD, MT(ASCP)SBB, Director, Clinical Immunogenetics, LifeShare Blood Centers

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

• Describe the issues of consent for donors and for patients related to molecular typing for antigens and hemoglobin S trait.
• Outline the reimbursement strategies for services related to molecular typing.
• List the benefits of molecular typing for large-scale donor screening.
• Identify the standards and quality control relevant to molecular techniques.
• Define the benefits in patient/diagnostic testing for the use of molecular methods.

Event Description: Serologic antigen typing has limitations, both in availability of reagents, as well as specificity. Technology for performing molecular typing is now available to laboratories for routine testing. The speakers will discuss the application for both donors and patients. Topics will include the development of AABB standards in this area, quality control and considerations for routine use of these techniques, and where benefits may be seen in replacing serologic methods for typing.

Event Level: Intermediate

How to Ease the Process of Donor Deferral Reentry

March 26, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084571

Director: Kathleen M. Connolly, Director of Public Relations, Rhode Island Blood Center

Moderator: Debra Collins, MT(ASCP), Quality Assurance/Compliance

Specialist, Rhode Island Blood Center

Faculty: Mary J. Townsend, MD, Medical Director, Coffee Memorial Blood Center; Debra Kessler, RN, MS, Director, Special Donor and Health Services, New York Blood Center

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

Objectives:

• Identify key donor criteria for donation eligibility.
• Discuss concepts involved with donor notification.
• Measure potential for donor reentry.

Event Description: How do we say yes to some donors and no to others? In this session, speakers will discuss how to notify donors and inform them they can no longer donate and describe ways to explain why. They will suggest techniques to recruit people who have been previously deferred and clarify why they can now donate.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Tissue Banking: Regulations, Operations, Medical Oversight

April 9, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084572

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

Faculty: Scott Brubaker, CTBS, Chief Policy Officer, American Association of Tissue Banks; Ted Eastlund, MD, Medical Director, Blood Bank, University of Minnesota Medical School

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

Objectives:

• Describe the importance of good tissue practice and how a tissue bank can establish quality systems to support good tissue practice.
• Compare and contrast the limitations of federal regulations and voluntary standards established by professional accrediting bodies.
• Explain the importance of medical oversight in tissue banking.

Event Description: Human tissues in transplantation and reconstruction have been used by surgeons for several decades. Yet in many aspects quality systems in good tissue practice (GTP) have not been fully embraced. Federal regulations are specific for the manufacturer or the tissue processor, but such regulations do not reach into the clinical setting. Consequently, medical oversight and compliance with voluntary standards are needed to enhance and continue the quality elements of GTP. This audioconference will pose tissue-related questions and challenges faced by the tissue processor, tissue bank, the medical director, and tissue coordinator in embracing GTP and related regulations.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Coding and Reimbursement

April 16, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084573

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

Faculty: William B. Lockwood, PhD, MD, Director, Transfusion Services & Tissue/Bone Bank, University of Louisville Hospital

Intended Audience: Managers/Supervisors, Physicians, Technologists, Medical Directors, Regulatory and Compliance Personnel, and Coding, Billing and Finance Personnel

Objectives:

•   Understand new coding and billing rules, Medicare guidelines and instructions related to transfusion medicine services.
•   Discuss transfusion services and cellular therapy billing and reimbursement issues affecting hospitals today.
•   Learn 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 difficult-to understand coding and billing policies, but the AABB Billing Guide for Transfusion and Cellular Therapies offers clear and concise explanations. In this session, attendees will be walked through the latest version of this guide. New coding and billing rules for blood products, hematopoietic stem cells and related services will be explained. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about transfusion medicine billing issues.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Use of Apheresis Products in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation* CT

April 23, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084574

Director/Moderator: Stephanie Lee, MD, MPH, Associate Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Faculty: Thomas H. Price, MD, Medical Director, Puget Sound Blood Center; Mary Eapen, MD, MS, Associate Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin; Ted Alyea, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Associate Director, Stem Cell Transplant Program, Dana Farber Cancer Institute

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

Objectives:

• Appraise the current data supporting the choice of either peripheral blood or marrow as an allogeneic stem cell source.
• Summarize the role of granulocyte transfusions in supporting patients undergoing treatment for hematologic malignancies.
• Illustrate how relapses after hematopoietic cell transplantation are managed, with a focus on the role of donor lymphocyte infusions.

Event Description: The apheresis center and blood bank play a critical supporting role in hematopoietic cell transplantation. This audioconference will review how three products are currently used: allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells, granulocytes, and donor lymphocytes. One speaker will discuss current data that help guide physicians in deciding whether to request peripheral blood or marrow from a stem cell donor. Another speaker will discuss the current indications for granulocyte transfusions. The third speaker will review current concepts about when and how donor lymphocyte infusions are used and how patients are monitored for complications. All three speakers will also discuss the most critical unanswered questions related to these products and describe current research designed to provide the answers.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

*Cellular therapy-focused audioconference.

Content for this program was developed in cooperation with the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT).

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The Impact of Thrombopoietin (TPO) Agonists on Platelet Transfusion

May 7, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084575

Director/Moderator: Jay H. Herman, MD, Director, Transfusion Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Faculty: Jeffrey McCullough, MD, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, American Red Cross, Chair in Transfusion Medicine and Director, Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota; David Kuter, MD/DPhil, Director, Clinical Hematology, Massachusetts General Hospital

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

Objectives:

•  Evaluate the physiology of platelet production and the role of TPO.
•  Describe the mechanisms of action of newly emerging TPO-agonist drugs.
•  Define the potential uses of TPO agonists in chronic thrombocytopenia.
•  Identify the impact that TPO agonists may have on platelet transfusion.
•  Discuss the potential role of TPO agonists for platelet donors.

Event Description: Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a growth factor produced by the liver that is critical for every stage of platelet differentiation and production in the marrow. Early forms of recombinant TPO were withdrawn before licensure because of adverse events, but a number of safer new drugs with TPO-like functions are emerging for use in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). This audioconference will begin by reviewing the physiology of platelet production, the role of TPO, and the mechanisms of action of the newer TPO agonists. Although they may not be useful in acute thrombocytopenia or marrow failure, TPO agonists might have a role in the treatment of chronic thrombocytopenic conditions such as myelodysplasia and liver disease. Whether these drugs have potential to decrease the need for platelet transfusions, and the possibility of use in platelet donation, will also be reviewed.

Event Level: Intermediate

Preparing Effective Training Material for Your Organization

May 14, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084576

Director/Moderator: Sally Rudmann, PhD, MT(ASCP)SBB, Professor and MT Program Director, Ohio State University Medical Center

Faculty: Sandy Arrighi, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Reference Lab Technologist/Instructor, American Red Cross Blood Services; Sally Rudmann, PhD, MT(ASCP)SBB, Professor and MT Program Director, Ohio State University Medical Center

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

Objectives:

• Design appropriate measurement tools to assess learning outcomes.
• Define the planning steps necessary for the development of effective education and training programs and materials.
• Select suitable education strategies suited for particular content and a designated audience.

Event Description: Effective education and training programs require a number of planning steps to ensure the attainment of desired learning outcomes. In this session, the speakers will discuss some items to consider when orchestrating training material. They will provide examples of successful program implementation and outcome evaluation techniques.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

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TTP Pathophysiology (+ADAMTS 13) andTreatment: Nurses’ Perspective

June 4, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084577

Director: Patricia Jost Golden, RN, HP(ASCP), Clinical Nurse Trainer, Occulogix

Moderator: Jeffrey Winters, MD, Director, Donor Services/Therapeutic Apheresis Unit, Mayo Clinic—Rochester

Faculty: Patricia Jost Golden, RN, HP(ASCP), Clinical Nurse Trainer, Occulogix

Intended Audience: Nurses, Apheresis Staff, Technologists

Objectives:

• Define TTP.
•  Describe the treatment options for TTP.
•  Explain the ADAMTS 13 influence in the pathophysiology of TTP.

Event Description: This audioconference focuses on thromboti thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) pathophysiology and treatment from a nurse’s perspective. An apheresis nurse will discuss the role of ADAMTS 13 in the pathophysiology of TTP and the treatment of this disease with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), including a review of procedural parameters and conditions.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Keys to Successful Strategic Planning

June 10, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 0802

Faculty: Robert Cole, CPA, VP Corporate Strategy, Gambro BCT

Objectives:

• Review key elements of the strategic planning process.
• Differentiate between the organization’s mission and the organization’s vision and why they are vital in the strategic planning process.
• Recognize that everyone in the organization has an important role in the development and execution of the plan.
• Understand how to use the Balanced Scorecard in an organization’s planning process.

Event Description: This program will use a real case study of a well-known blood center’s new strategic planning process. The organization, which was recently acquired by a new company, had significant changes in the top management team. The new leadership is encouraging managers at the center to think “outside the box” and apply new perspectives to the strategic planning cycle to avoid the danger of planning the same way as in the past. The speaker in this program will illustrate items such as how the organization performed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of the organization, how the organization linked the balance scorecard to the strategic planning process, and what communication strategy was chosen to accompany and execute the new strategic plan organization wide.

Tracking Blood Electronically: The Future Is Here

June 18, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084578

Director/Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Vice President, Laboratory Services, Indiana Blood Center

Faculty: Rodeina Davis, BS, Vice President and CIO, BloodCenter of Wisconsin

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors, CEOs/CFOs, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

•  Review the ongoing study coordinated by the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Carter BloodCare and Mississippi Blood Services.
•  Discuss feasibility and impact of RFID in blood banking. Assess roles of various regulatory and standards organizations in providing guidance and participation for the implementation of RFID, including FDA, HHS, ISBT, ICCBBA, AABB and EPC-Global.
•  Identify stakeholders and their roles in deploying this technology including bag manufacturers, blood centers and hospitals.

Event Description: There is a great deal of interest in the use of RFID in transfusion medicine. To realize RFID’s benefits, the industry as a whole must define and adopt consistent standards for the entire blood supply chain. The technology must integrate with existing and planned barcoding and labeling standards as well as blood and transfusion systems already in use. Further, consideration must be given to RFID interest by industries peripheral to transfusion medicine, such as pharma, to maximize the return for widespread adoption. This audioconference will examine whether this technology can advance patient safety and operational efficiency, quality, and effectiveness in the whole supply chain.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Inventory and Clinical Management of Blood Products in Critical Shortages and Emergency Release

July 9, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084580

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

Faculty: Lawrence Tim Goodnough, MD, Professor of Pathology and Medicine, Director of Transfusion Service, Associate Medical Director of Quality, Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Nurses, CEOs/CFOs, Perfusionists, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

• Describe the limitations of turnaround time from donor collection to the blood product release to the patient.
• Assess at least three major practices that could be instituted within a facility to better manage the blood and blood product inventory.
• Recall justification and essential steps that must be followed in the emergency release of blood products.

Event Description: The availability of blood and blood products, especially platelets, in many medical facilities may vary from common critical shortages to an occasional difficulty in obtaining needed components. Overall availability raises many questions. These questions range from the effectiveness of the blood center to recruit and maintain the steady state of blood donors to increasing utilization and management at the local medical facility. Communication, mutual understanding and education between the blood center and the medical facility are understandably essential. In this audioconference, inventory management and emergency release of blood and blood products will be discussed from the hospital perspective.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Cord Blood Recruitment*CT

July 16, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET)

6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084581

Director: Virginia Hughes, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, CLS(NCA), Assistant Professor, Auburn University

Moderator: Doug Mora, OT, Cord Blood Program Coordinator, Puget Sound Blood Center

Faculty: Sue Armitage, BS, Assistant Director, Cord Blood Bank, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

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

Objectives:

• Discuss cord blood recruitment strategies in the clinical setting.
• Identify pitfalls in cord blood recruitment.
• Evaluate the role of the hospital in cord blood recruiting.

Event Description: This audioconference will discuss current and future strategies in umbilical cord blood recruitment from a large clinical center. Topics covered will include the role of the mother’s health care team, the hospital and the cord blood storage facility. Common pitfalls in cord blood recruitment will also be discussed as well as differences between private and public cord blood banks.

Event Level: Basic to Intermediate

*Cellular therapy-focused audioconference.

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Coagulation Case Studies for Blood Bankers

July 30, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084582

Director: Lynn A. Emmert, MEd, MT(ASCP)SI, CLS(NCA), Technical Education Supervisor, Puget Sound Blood Center

Moderator: Evelyn Lockhart, MD, Assistant Medical Director, Hemostasis Laboratory, Puget Sound Blood Center

Faculty: Terry Gernsheimer, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Puget Sound Blood Center; Cassandra Josephson, MD, Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

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

Objectives:

•   Describe the symptoms, procedures and laboratory testing methods used in the diagnosis of coagulation disorders.
•   Explain the use of blood products and coagulation factors in the treatment of coagulation disorders.

Event Description: This session will use a case study format to assess pediatric and adult coagulation disorders. These ailments include head trauma in a hemophilia patient, von Willebrand disease vs. platelet dysfunction in a patient with epistaxis, pediatric massive transfusion, obstetric bleeding emergencies and uremic bleeding. The speakers will discuss the diagnosis and treatment used in each case.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Blood and Stem Cell Donors as Research Subjects*CT

August 6, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084583

Director/Moderator: John P. Miller, MD, PhD, Medical Director, National Marrow Donor Program

Faculty: Daniel Weisdorf, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Adult

Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, University of Minnesota; Roberta J. King, MPH, Director of Research Operations, National Marrow Donor Program

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

Objectives:

• Evaluate a method for determining whether or not a donor is considered a research subject or a third party in patient-focused research.
• Describe key elements of informed consent for donors.
• Determine how to approach donors about research and explain studies appropriately so the donor is prepared to make an informed decision about whether or not to participate.

Event Description: Blood and stem cell donors are increasingly being asked to participate in research protocols involving their donation or as third parties to patient-focused research. On the basis of current regulations and ethical principles of human subject protections, the faculty will discuss how to determine if a donor is a research subject or a third party in research. In addition, this session will involve a discussion of how to approach donors about research studies and provide case examples of how to share information with donors.

Event Level: Intermediate

*Cellular therapy-focused audioconference.

Content for this program was developed in cooperation with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Financial Management: Budgeting, Financing, and Interpreting Financial Documents

August 19, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 0803

Faculty: Susan Barnes, Chief Financial Officer, Blood Systems; Randell G. Stark, BS, Vice President, Administration and Chief Financial Officer, Oklahoma Blood Institute

Objectives:

•  Recognize the difference between cash and accrual accounting.
•  Identify and interpret the elements of a balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement.
•  Describe the purpose and value of business planning and budgeting.

Event Description: This program was developed specifically for employees who would like to strengthen their financial capabilities in these increasingly challenging economic times. The speakers will cover the concept of budgeting and how the process and outcome can be used to assist in the analysis of the company’s financial performance. This session is designed to create an understanding of a company’s financial statements including balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements. The speakers will prepare the audience to read and interpret financial statements and financial results in order to make informed management; decisions by making them a valuable decision making tool.

Managing Massive Transfusion: Clinical and Blood Bank Perspectives

September 10, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084585

Director/Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Vice President, Laboratory Services, Indiana Blood Center

Faculty: John R. Hess, MD, Professor of Pathology and Medicine, University of Maryland Medical School; Theresa Nester, MD, Assistant Medical Director, Puget Sound Blood Center

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

Objectives:

• Describe the metabolic changes that occur when a patient receives large volumes of blood.
• List coagulation issues associated with massive transfusion.
• Discuss the appropriate selection of blood components for massively transfused patients.

Event Description: This event will review the clinical management and blood administration issues associated with infusing large volumes to a single patient. Topics will include metabolic considerations and coagulopathies and include discussion of pharmaceuticals such as recombinant Factor VIIa, selection and use of blood components, and management of sensitized patients.

Event Level: Intermediate

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What’s New in Platelet Products?

September 17, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm; 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084586

Director/Moderator: Jay H. Herman, MD, Director, Transfusion Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Faculty: Dana Devine, PhD, Vice President, Medical, Scientific & Research Affairs, Canadian Blood Services and Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia; Ralph Vassallo, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Atlantic Division, American Red Cross Blood Services

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Nurses

Objectives:

• Describe buffy coat platelets and the hurdles faced in their manufacture.
• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of pre-pooled platelets.
• Discuss the potential impact of extended storage media for platelets.
• Understand how “dry” platelets may decrease adverse events in platelet transfusion.

Event Description: Two platelet products are used predominantly in the U.S. The first is apheresis platelets and the second is platelet concentrates prepared through separation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from donated whole blood. Newer platelet products have been developed that address a number of disadvantages of these standard products. This audioconference will focus on the technical specifications and product characteristics of four new products that have potential to gain widespread use in the U.S.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Models for Effective Quarantine and Segregation of Cellular Therapy Products*
September 24, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 084587

Director/Moderator: Greg Pomper, MD, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Faculty: Donna M. Regan, MT(ASCP)SBB, Executive Director, St. Louis Cord Blood Bank, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center; Yoga Balaji, MS, MBA, President, Pragmatrix Technology LLC

Intended Audience: Physicians, Scientists, Technologists, Managers/ Supervisors, Quality Assurance Staff

Objectives:

• Critique the different regulatory requirements for the quarantine of cellular therapy products.
• Assess the approaches to quarantine of cellular therapy products practiced by a national organization.
• Evaluate the special circumstances that apply to the quarantine of cord blood.

Event Description: This audioconference will present an overview of the various regulations that address the quarantine of cellular therapy products. Quarantine and segregation practices from an active university program, the American Red Cross and an active cord blood program will be presented and discussed. The program will attempt to highlight special circumstances and specific examples of how to approach different products and quarantine needs. Both electronic and manual quarantine processes will be covered.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

*Cellular therapy-focused audioconference

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Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG): Intended Use and Administration

October 22, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 094564

Director/Moderator: Jennifer Rhamy, MBA, MA, MT(ASCP)SBB, HP, Vice President, Laboratory Services, Indiana Blood Center

Faculty: Heather Hume, MD, Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine, Canadian Blood Services; Robert S. Makar, MD, PhD, Assistant Director, Blood Transfusion Service, Massachusetts General Hospital

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

Objectives:

• List indications for use of IVIG in hematology and neurology patients.
• Name adverse effects associated with the medication.
• Describe issues associated with the administration of IVIG.

Event Description: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used increasingly for a broad number of disorders. The Canadian health system recently convened an expert panel to develop guidelines for use in hematologic and neurologic diseases. This audioconference will explore issues associated with the administration of IVIG, including adverse effects.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Dealing with Extraneous Results in Serologic Testing

October 29, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 094565

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

Faculty: Debra Bailey, BS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Assistant Director Reference Laboratory, American Red Cross Blood Services; Karen Rodberg, MBA, MT(ASCP)SBB, Director, Reference Services, American Red Cross

Intended Audience: Physicians, Technologists, Managers/Supervisors

Objectives:

• Identify and evaluate extraneous screening/panel cell reactivity when all common significant alloantibodies have seemingly been ruled out.
• Assess when to suspect antibodies directed toward low-incidence antigens.
• Determine how to investigate and manage incompatible crossmatch results when the screen/panel is negative.
• List and name serologic troubleshooting techniques that can be used to investigate extraneous results.
• Describe proper reporting protocols when extraneous reactivity cannot be explained.

Event Description: All too often, serologists encounter reactivity with no apparent specificity during pretransfusion testing. What additional testing should be performed? How extensive must the testing be? How do you ensure that adequate testing is performed in order to assess for a weakly reacting alloantibody of clinical significance? What do you do when the extraneous reactivity cannot be explained? The speakers, both experts in the field of red cell serology, will describe problem-solving techniques and logical approaches to these serologic questions and dilemmas. Case studies will be used to complement the lecture material.

Event Level: Intermediate

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Leadership Management Audioconference Series for Individuals: Effective Tools for Resource Management

November 18, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 0804

Faculty: Anne K. Chinoda, President and CEO, Florida’s Blood Centers, Inc.

Objectives:

• Develop skills to find, hire and retain the right people within your organization.
• Discover how to effectively delegate responsibility.
• Translate the strategic plan into performance objectives and measurements.

Event Description: Resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization’s resources when they are needed. Such resources include human skills. Managers must supervise their staff and focus on the details of everyday duties while keeping the organization’s big picture in mind. The primary objective of this program is to study the essential steps in effective execution of resource management and provide a framework for making better decisions to strengthen and grow the corporation’s most important asset, its staff.

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Platelet Refractoriness: Causes and Treatments

November 19, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 094566

Director/Moderator: Lorne Holland, MD, Associate Director of Transfusion Medicine, University of Colorado

Faculty: Janice McFarland, MD, Director, Platelet and Neutrophil Immunology Laboratory, Blood Center of Wisconsin; Michael Lankiewicz, MD, Director of Transfusion Services, Froedtert Hospital, Acting Chief of Hematology, Medical College of Wisconsin

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

Objectives:

• List the criteria necessary for making a diagnosis of platelet refractoriness.
• Identify common causes of platelet refractoriness.
• Discuss methods for selecting products for patients who are refractory to platelet transfusion.

Event Description: Patients who have an inadequate increase in their platelet count following platelet transfusion are a common problem for the transfusion service. Only some of these patients are truly refractory to platelet transfusion and need additional testing. At the same time, repeated platelet transfusions to these refractory patients are an ineffective use of a scarce product. Furthermore, not every patient who is refractory to platelet transfusion will benefit from special products such as HLAmatched platelets. Proper identification and management of patients who are refractory to platelet transfusion can minimize unnecessary expenditures of time, products and money for the transfusion service. This audioconference will include a discussion of the criteria necessary to establish a diagnosis of platelet refractoriness and therapeutic approaches that maximize the quality of patient care while minimizing expenses to the transfusion service.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Hospital- and Blood Provider-Driven Blood Management: A Unique and Creative Joint Venture

December 3, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 094567

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

Faculty: Marisa B. Marques, MD, Professor of Pathology, University of Alabama Hospital; Ryan Corcoran, MS, Regional Director, Sales, American Red Cross

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

Objectives:

• Identify creative ways for the blood provider to work more collaboratively with a hospital customer.
• Structure formal agreements that allow for “win-win” scenarios between the blood provider and the hospital customer.
• Determine key stakeholders in blood utilization management within the hospital and blood center.
• Create effective presentations to gain support from medical staff/stakeholders.
• Design and implement a blood utilization management program using outcome-based criteria.

Event Description: This audioconference will provide insights into a joint venture project on blood management as it was created between a local blood provider and its largest customer. The “floor to ceiling” approach to the whole project will be discussed. In addition, the presenters will review how to monitor and communicate the effectiveness of the program to all stakeholders.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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Differential Diagnosis of Suspected Pulmonary Transfusion Reactions

December 10, 2008

2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET); 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (GMT)

Program # 094568

Director/Moderator: Cynthia White, MHA, SBB(ASCP) MT(AMT), Implementation Consultant, Mediware Information Systems

Faculty: Jeffrey Winters, MD, Director Donor Services/Therapeutic Apheresis Unit, Mayo Clinic-Rochester; Ognjen Gajic, MD, MSc, FCCP, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic; Patricia M. Kopko, MD, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs, Histocompatibility Director, BloodSource

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

Objectives:

• Recognize signs and symptoms of posttransfusion pulmonary complications worthy of halting product administration.
• Develop protocols for notifications and donor management, including laboratory testing for HLA and neutrophil-specific antibodies, donor evaluations and donor deferrals.
• Select appropriate radiologic and laboratory testing used in the clinical context of posttransfusion pulmonary manifestations.

Event Description: Historically, the transfusion reaction evaluation is a blood bank protocol for determining the presence of immune-mediated hemolysis. It calls for an initial workup, and if no evidence of certain pre-set criteria exists, the investigation ends. In this seminar, the speakers discuss inflammatory responses, likely nonhemolytic, that are life-threatening when not recognized and managed. The lecturer will address signs and symptoms of pulmonary reactions to blood transfusions that may be neither immediate nor classic signs of reactions to transfusion, and therefore are unrecognized, unreported and not managed. The speakers will discuss clinical and laboratory investigations that not only diagnose transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) but also differentiate this diagnosis from that of transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) or other pulmonary episodes. This interactive seminar will review radiologic and laboratory testing used in the clinical context. The speakers will discuss strategies for minimizing transfusion risk by proper management of at-risk donors, thereby complying with AABB guidances.

Event Level: Intermediate to Advanced

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