Technology for Training in the Blood Bank (AI, Simulation, etc.) (26EL-622)

Please note: AABB reserves the right to make updates to this program.

• Educational Track: Quality Education
• Topics: Blood Donation & Collection, Patient Transfusion
• Intended Audience: Hospital Blood Banks, Laboratory Staff, Managers/Supervisors, Students (MD, MT, SBB), Technologists, Transfusion Safety Officers
• Teaching Level: Basic, Intermediate

• Director/Moderator: Hind Kurbaj, MS, SBB(ASCP), Program Director-Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
  Speaker: Rianne Ricarte, MSTM, MLS(ASCP)SBB, Hematology and Coagulation Specialist, Houston Methodist Hospital Willowbrook, Willowbrook, TX

• Program Description

  This program explores how technology is transforming laboratory training and education. The faculty will review current tools such as SOP management systems, e-learning modules, simulations, and virtual programs, as well as the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also highlight future innovations, including artificial intelligence and virtual/augmented reality, and discuss their potential to enhance competency, efficiency, and regulatory compliance in laboratory practice.

  Learning Objectives

  After participating in this educational activity, participants should be able to:

  • Identify technologies and platforms used in laboratory training and education.
  • Explain how these technologies are applied to enhance competency and regulatory compliance.
  • Discuss challenges and limitations of technology-assisted training compared to traditional methods.
  • Examine emerging innovations such as artificial intelligence shaping the future of training.

  Registration

  Please note: registration for the live eCast is now closed. Registration is available for the on-demand eCast. If you registered for the live eCast you do not need to register for the on-demand eCast (access to the on-demand eCast was included with the live eCast registration).

  Single Viewer	Register
  Group Viewing	Register

  Continuing Education Credit

  This activity is eligible for one (1) continuing education credit/contact hour for Physicians, California Nurses, California Lab Personnel, Florida Lab Personnel and General Participation credit. AABB reserves the right to reduce or increase the number of credits granted based on the final activity duration. For more information on each credit type please visit our Continuing Education Credits webpage.

  There is no financial support for this activity.

  

  In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB), which is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

  Physicians (ACCME): AABB designates this live activity for a maximum of one (1) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. AABB designates this enduring activity for a maximum of one (1) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

  Claiming Credit
  Live Activity - Upon completion of the live activity, you will receive instructions to complete your evaluation, which is necessary to claim credit and receive your certificate of attendance/completion (credit must be claimed by the date provided in the instructions). The evaluation can be found by logging into the AABB Education Platform.

  Enduring Activity - Once the enduring (on-demand) program is available, you will receive instructions to access the AABB Education Platform. Upon completion of viewing the enduring activity, you will need to complete the evaluation, which is necessary to claim credit and receive your certificate of completion (credit must be claimed by the date provided in the AABB Education Platform).

  Program & Credit Expiration Dates:

  • Live Activity Program Date: April 15, 2026; Credit Expiration Date: May 15, 2026
  • Enduring Activity Program Dates: April 15, 2026 – April 14, 2029; Credit Expiration Date: April 14, 2029

  Disclosure Declaration

  It is the policy of the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, and scientific rigor and integrity in all of its CE activities. Faculty must disclose to the participants any relationships with commercial companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. AABB has evaluated, identified, and mitigated any potential conflicts of interest through a rigorous content validation procedure, use of evidence-based data/research, and a multidisciplinary peer review process. The following information is for participant information only. It is not assumed that the presence of such relationships will have a negative impact on the presentations.

  Disclosures for the planners of this event can be found here. Disclosures for the program faculty, peer reviewers, and AABB personnel are provided at the beginning of the program.

  Faculty Biographies

  Hind Kurbaj received her master's in Immunohematology and Biotechnology from George Washington University. She currently works as the Program Director in Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center Transfusion Services in Houston, Texas.

  Rianne Ricarte earned her master's degree in Transfusion Medicine from the University of Texas Medical Branch and has extensive blood bank experience across cancer, pediatric, and transplant hospitals. She currently serves as a Hematology and Coagulation Specialist at Houston Methodist Willowbrook, with a strong focus on education, competency development, and regulatory compliance.