Three Largest Florida Blood Centers to Enter Merger Talks · ABC Newsletter-3- November 19, 2010...

2010 #43 November 19, 2010

The ABC Newsletter will not publish next week to give staff time off to be with family and friends for Thanksgiving. The next issue will be published

on Dec. 3. Happy Turkey Day!

INSIDE: Our Space: Club 25.........2 Study Eyes Transfusion-

Related Infections from ‘Walking Blood Bank’ During War ...................3

Three Largest Florida Blood Centers to Enter Merger Talks

CMS Establishes Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation......4

Florida’s three largest independent blood centers announced this week that they will “explore the option” of merging, a process that is expected to take several months. The Infant Resurrection –

Right In Front of My Amazed Eyes ...............5

Florida’s Blood Centers (FBC), Florida Blood Services (FBS), and Community Blood Centers of Florida (CBCF) together supply more than 200 hospitals and other health facilities. If the centers combined, the resulting organization would serve 80 percent of the population of the Sunshine State and the majority of its 67 counties. That territory would be vast, covering large swaths of West, Central, and South Florida, including Orlando, Miami, and the Tampa Bay area, as well as Pensacola, Tallahassee, and parts of southern Georgia and Alabama.

Shy Toddler Meets the Kind Man Whose Gift Saved Her Life..............6

Study Finds Increased Risk of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma from Transfusion...................7

Blood Bank of Delmarva Opens Expanded Donor Center.........................16

FBC, FBS, and CBCF are among America’s Blood Centers’ largest members. According to numbers provided in a conference call on Thursday, the three centers collected a total of more than 998,000 blood units last year. If they merge, the

combined entity could be ABC’s largest member.

CALENDAR...................23

Benefits of a Merger. FBC, FBS, and CBCF noted that each center has received approval from its board of directors to continue merger talks. Once a

merger is approved, it will likely take 12 to 18 months to be implemented, said Don Doddridge, president and CEO of FBS.

“Florida’s medical facilities are increasingly looking for larger- scale blood bank suppliers…”

The potential merger “represents a historic opportunity to build a new statewide organization that will be even more effective in fulfilling the life-saving mission of providing safe, available, and affordable blood to the Florida communities [the centers] serve,” the centers said in a press release. Mr. Doddridge said in the statement, “With hospital consolidation becoming a national trend, Florida’s medical facilities are increasingly looking for larger-scale

(continued on page 11)

ABC Newsletter -2- November 19, 2010

OUR SPACE By ABC CEO Jim MacPherson Club 25 USA

Club 25 started as a simple idea that spread around the globe and may soon visit a blood center near you. In the 1990s, Zimbabwe piloted a project aimed at getting young people to avoid rampant HIV infection while donating blood as a safe population amid infected family and paid donors. Kids ages 15 to 20 were recruited to pledge to practice abstinence or safe sex and give 25 blood donations by the time they were 25. About 10 years ago, the Safe Blood for Africa Foundation (SBFA) began introducing the Club 25 concept in many other African countries. Last year, SBFA reported hundreds of thousands of donations given by tens of thousands of club members who had 550 percent lower rates of HIV than age matched non-Club 25 members. In the last four years the concept began spreading, and clubs can now be found in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Where HIV transmission is not a large threat, the emphasis is on healthy lifestyles and helping to save lives by recruiting other donors. Scotland recently expressed interest in starting a Club 25 to tap into emerging youth born since the “Mad Cow” epidemic ended. In Africa, Club 25s are real facilities, often in impoverished areas – some outfitted with sports equipment and internet access, others offering job training programs. In more developed countries, Club 25 tends to resemble any high school or college club. For several years, SBFA and ABC have wondered whether Club 25 would have value in North America. Fo-cus groups at several suburban high schools elicited excited interest among young donors to be part of such a club, and able to exchange ideas and chat locally, nationally, and internationally with other club members. SBFA decided to develop a virtual Club 25 – local clubs organized by blood centers with their own website. This would tie all clubs together under a social media and interactive umbrella. SBFA confirmed support from the blood center community at the recent AABB annual meeting and hopes to announce pilot sites soon. Most US blood centers are heavily into social media, some with loyalty stores and educational media on blood and staying healthy. Pilots will determine any added value for donors to belong to a local and national club, which also can follow donors as they head off to college and move into the workforce. The concept, at least, appears to resonate well with our youth and many blood center personnel.

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Study Eyes Transfusion-Related Infections from ‘Walking Blood Bank’ During War New data from a military study on transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI) among troops in Afghani-stan and Iraq show that the risk of TTI when limited blood screening procedures are used on the battlefield does not exceed the residual risk found when federally licensed screening assays are used. A new study in Transfusion found only one case of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) among 475 transfused troops tested for HCV for an incident rate of 2.1/1,000. “This incidence is less than half of what would be expected assuming transfusion of non-[Food and Drug Administration]-compliant blood … and the prevalence estimate of 5 per 1,000 from a study of active component troops in 1997,” the authors note. Methodology. For the study, researchers tested 761 US service members who received emergency trans-fusions in the two wars between March 1, 2002 and Sept. 30, 2007. They were identified from the transfusion database and historical archive of the US Central Command Joint Blood Program Office. Posttransfusion serum samples were sequentially evaluated for HCV, HIV, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) using serologic and nucleic acid testing. Selected regions of viral genomes from epidemiologically linked infected recipients and their donors were sequenced and compared. Of the total, 475 were tested for HCV, 472 were tested for HIV; and 469 for HBV Results. Of all the tests, only one case of HCV TTI was detected after emergency blood use. The pre-transfusion prevalence per 1,000 persons was 8/1,000 (four cases) for HCV, 0/1000 (0) for HIV, 4/1,000 (two cases) for HBV, and 19/1,000 for antibody to HBV core antigen. “There is little doubt that the rapid provision of emergency care to casualties has contributed favorably to lower combat fatality rates during the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan – among the lowest in US history,” the authors write. And a major factor in that emergency care is the ability to transfuse blood quickly into personnel who need it most. The US military provides transfusions to seriously wounded soldiers with either its regular supply of processed/tested blood or, since World War II, with blood com-ing from other soldiers “in theater.” [Editor’s note: Members of America’s Blood Centers also provide blood to the military on request through the organization’s hub-and-spoke system.] When the supply of screened, processed blood is unavailable or insufficient, the US military’s clinical practice guidelines allow the use of non-FDA-compliant, voluntarily donated, and freshly collected blood products, the authors note. “Donors of emergency blood products are usually service members co-located with the receiving military medical activity and often referred to as ‘the walking blood bank.’” According to the Armed Services Blood Program Office, the US military transfused 47,825 units of blood products to US casualties from October 2001 to September 2007. Of these, 4,856 (10 percent) were freshly collected products, including 3,384 units of whole blood and 1,472 apheresis platelet units that were not screened for pathogens in accordance with FDA regulations. Apheresis platelets became avail-able at a combat support hospital in Iraq in 2004. Risk Mitigation In-theater. To reduce the risk of TTI from in-theater blood products, the US military screens troops for HIV every two years and 120 days before deployment, requires all troops to get an HBV vaccination, and screens donors in-theater with a combination of questionnaires and rapid diagnos-tic testing for HCV, HIV, and HBV. Non-FDA-approved rapid diagnostic tests were initially used at a combat support hospital in Baghdad in 2004 and subsequently replaced by an FDA-approved rapid test.



TTI During War (continued from page 3) The study somewhat validates methods already being used to control TTI among wounded troops in the field and will help to inform the development of future policies and initiatives designed to further reduce the incidence of infectious diseases. “The finding of one documented transfusion-transmitted HCV infection among 475 evaluable recipients of blood products suggests that the risk of TTI among deployed troops does not exceed the expected, residual risk when screening procedures are extremely limited or entirely absent.” However, the researchers acknowledge that “due to limitations of this investigation in using [repository] samples to ascertain infection status retrospectively and in testing a convenience sample of all emergency transfusion recipients, the observed TTI incidence likely underestimates the true TTI incidence.” And they note that the “possibility that one or more of the four individuals who were either anti-HBc or HBsAg positive may have been infected as a result of transfusion should be considered in assessing over-all risk of TTIs in emergency transfusion recipients.” Citation: Hakre S et al. Transfusion-transmissible viral infections among US military recipients of whole blood and platelets during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Transfusion. 2010 Oct 7. [Epub ahead of print] CMS Establishes Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week established the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Created by the Affordable Care Act, the Innovation Center will examine new ways of delivering healthcare and paying healthcare providers that can save money while improving the quality of care. CMS also announced the launch of new demonstration projects that will support efforts to better coordi-nate care and improve health outcomes for patients. “For too long, healthcare in the US has been fragmented – failing to meet patients’ basic needs, and leav-ing both patients and providers frustrated,” said Donald Berwick, MD, CMS administrator. “Payment systems often fail to reward providers for coordinating care and keeping their patients healthy reinforcing this fragmentation. The Innovation Center will help change this trend by identifying, supporting, and evaluating models of care that both improve the quality of care patients receive and lower costs.”

The center was developed to identify and test healthcare models that provide beneficiaries with a “seamless care experience,” better healthcare and lower costs, said Acting Innova-tion Center Director Richard Gilfillan, MD. The center, he said, will attempt to identify, validate, and scale models that have been effective in achieving better outcomes and im-proving the quality of care, but may be relatively unknown.

The Innovation Center will consult stakeholders across the healthcare sector including hospitals, doctors, consumers, payers, states, employers, advocates, relevant federal agencies and others to obtain direct in-put on its operations and to build partnerships with those that are interested in its work. The organization will also test models that include establishing an “open innovation community” that serves as an informa-tion clearinghouse of best practices in healthcare innovation.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20946199



CMS Innovation Center (continued from page 4) According to a CMS spokesperson, several demonstration pilot projects for the kind of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) envisioned by the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act will be supported by the Innovation Center. Rochelle Scott, special assistant to John Pilotte, acting director of Performance Based Payment Policy in the Center for Medicare, said that the national ACO program falls under the Center for Medicare. The Innovation Center-funded pilots will be used to guide CMS in formulating regs and best practice guidelines for ACOs (see related story on page 14). The Innovation Center will also work with stakeholders to create learning communities that help other providers rapidly implement these new care models. CMS also announced several new initiatives to strengthen primary care and better coordinate care for patients. The Innovation Center also announced an upcoming opportunity for states to apply for contracts to sup-port development of new models aimed at improving care quality, care coordination, cost-effectiveness, and overall experience of beneficiaries who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, also known as “dual eligibles.” The Innovation Center expects to award up to $1 million in design contracts to as many as 15 state programs for this work. More information is available at: www.innovations.cms.gov

FORUM . . . . . . Views and opinions about blood services

The Infant Resurrection – Right In Front of My Amazed Eyes

By Edwin R. Baker

Mr. Baker is retired from the University of California, San Francisco.

In the fall of 1958, I was a 17-year-old deck seaman serving aboard the USS Castor, a cargo ship ported in Yokosuka, a Japanese city with a naval shipyard. Our ship sailed along the Japanese Pacific coast and down to the island of Formosa, where we serviced US Navy destroyers that were helping to maintain the newly declared inde-pendence of the nationalist Chinese. The ship made visits to Taipei, Hong Kong, and occasionally to the navy yard outside of Manila in the Philippine islands. I first donated at age 17 in Hawaii in response to an epidemic of some type, after which I was declared a “proven donor.” Once aboard the USS Castor, I donated for a sailor injured in the South China Sea. Photo circa 1995

Shortly after my ship returned to Yokosuka in the fall of 1958, our captain received an urgent appeal for blood donors from the commander of the nearby Yokohama naval station – specifically for O-negative blood. The appeal was so urgent that a navy ambulance showed up on the dock within the hour. A chief hospital corpsman whisked three of us into the back of the ambulance and immediately began supervising the scouring of our bodies as we flew up the road to Yokohama. By the time we arrived at the medical facility, we had been fully stripped down and donned in sterile dressing gowns complete with skull covers and booties. We asked the chief why we had to go through all this trouble to donate into a bottle. The response was this was no ordinary donation – we were being prepped for a transfusion!


http://www.innovations.cms.gov/


FORUM (continued from page 5) Each of us was positioned onto stretchers, carried inside to a scrub room, transferred onto gurneys, and had our right arms sterilized and prepped. Since I was the first to be finished, I was wheeled into an oper-ating room and positioned alongside what seemed like a rather small operating table. Small indeed! I was startled to find myself lying alongside an infant! What I later learned was that the wife of a naval officer had given birth earlier that afternoon. It was a difficult birth, fraught with complications, including the fact that the newborn was premature and jaun-diced. I was frightened at the sight but reassured by the nurse administering the transfusion device that all would soon be restored to normal. The switch was flipped, the blood began to flow, and I watched that newborn turn from yellow to pink right in front of my amazed eyes! That incident happened over 50 years ago but I’ve never forgotten it. The other evening at a Bible study class, the scripture under review spoke of how the Lord works through us to help others. I thought my story was a perfect example of the scripture being studied, so I related it to my classmates. Even though so many years have elapsed, I still got choked up telling my story. I became a believer at an early age and it turned me into a lifelong donor. But you don’t need a dramatic incident to make you become a donor. Read the literature that surrounds you at the blood center. Be-come aware of how much good can be done to so many with a single pint of blood. Add to that the amazing fact that your blood volume is restored so quickly that you can donate again in two months! Never mind the tiny needle prick – it’s forgotten in a moment. Close your eyes and think of the good you are doing for your fellow man, and just DONATE! Shy Toddler Meets the Kind Man Whose Gift Saved Her Life As 2-year-old Madison Bice played with a red stuffed dog that she called Sugar, her family shook hands with Bob Willson Jr., the man they credit with saving the little girl’s life two years ago. When Madison was born, her umbilical cord rup-tured, causing her to need an emergency blood transfusion. Enter Mr. Willson, a regular blood do-nor with a much-sought-after blood type. Now happy and healthy, Madison was taken by her family earlier this month to Blood Assurance in Chattanooga, Tenn., to thank the 63-year-old Chat-tanooga resident for giving the gift of life. “If it wasn’t for his [blood] donation, she wouldn’t be here today,” said Chris Bice, Madison’s

Shirley Capps, left, holds Madison Bice as Bob Willson smiles on at Blood Assurance. Staff photo by Allison Carter/Chattanooga Times Free Press

father. Shirley Capps, Madison’s grandmother, was equally grateful. “There is no amount of thanks I can give for what you have done,” she said. It was the first time Madison met Mr. Willson, so the toddler was a little shy. That was quite all right with Mr. Willson. In his three decades of donating blood, he never had the chance to meet a recipient. “When you see that sweet little girl smiling and full of life, it really puts a face to it all,” he said.



Toddler Meets Donor Savior (continued from page 6) Mr. Willson said he has been donating blood for 35 years. He started when a coworker was going to have open-heart surgery and colleagues decided to donate their blood to help. With type O-negative blood Mr. Wilson is a universal donor because his blood can be used for anyone. And because his blood is Cytomegalovirus (CMV) negative, it can be used for immunocompromised patients, a group that includes neonates. Liz Culler, MD, vice president and medical director of Blood Assurance, said Mr. Willson’s blood type, O- and CMV-, represents just 1 percent of donors. That makes him special. Mr. Willson said he donates blood about every 60 days. Blood Assurance will call him when there is a specific need for a blood donation for an infant. “I always help the little kids out,” Mr. Willson said. “It’s a no-brainer.” Willie Capps, Madison’s grandfather, said he was a frequent blood donor long before his granddaughter was born, but now he tries to persuade everyone to donate. “You never know who you will be helping out,” Mr. Capps said. “It just takes a little bit of time to help save a life.” (Source: Chattanooga Times Free Press, 11/6/10: www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/nov/06/babys-grateful-family-thanks-blood-donor/) Study Finds Increased Risk of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma from Transfusion A new meta-analysis suggests an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in patients who receive allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. The analysis found the risk of developing chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) was significantly higher than for other NHL subtypes. Based on nine case-control studies (which compare a group with the disease with a similar group without the disease) and five cohort studies (which follow over time groups with and without exposure to the putative agent), the researchers found that blood transfusions were associated with a 20 percent increase in the risk of NHL. Cohort studies found an association of transfusion and NHL relative risk (RR) of 1.34 while case-control studies did not – for an RR of 1.05. Pooled, the studies indicate an RR of 1.2. The authors, three researchers from two Rhode Island universities, seemed to downplay the significance of their findings, which were published in the Oct. 21 issue of the journal Blood. “Although the risk is minimal, given the increasing number of blood transfusions every year, the potential number of incident cases of NHL because of allogeneic RBC transfusions could be considered non-negligible,” they write. However, in an editorial on the study, James R. Cerhan, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, said the fact that the results were similar for transfusions given before and after 1992 is of “particular interest because there have been major changes in transfusion practice over the last 30 years that have dramatically decreased the risk of pathogen transmission. Thus, any mechanism explaining a transfusion and NHL association will need to account for the impact of extensive screening, changes in the use of blood components, the advent of leukodepletion, and other changes in transfusion practice…” NHL is the seventh most common cancer diagnosed in the US, with approximately 66,000 new cases diagnosed in 2009. The incidence of NHL has increased at a compound rate of 2-3 percent per year since the mid-1970s, making NHL one of the fastest rising cancers, second only to melanoma.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunocompromised

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/nov/06/babys-grateful-family-thanks-blood-donor/

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/nov/06/babys-grateful-family-thanks-blood-donor/


Transfusion and NHL Study (continued from page 7) “Even after accounting for an aging population, longer survival in patients infected with HIV, or the in-creased prevalence of autoimmune conditions, the reasons for the progressively increased incidence of NHL are largely unexplained,” the authors note. Conditions that have been associated with an increased risk of developing NHL include autoimmune diseases, chronic bacterial and viral infections, and congeni-tal and acquired immunodeficiency states. Diabetes mellitus and pesticides have also been implicated. A ongoing theory is that disease states or environmental conditions that affect the immune system may lead to the development of NH. These could include allogeneic RBC transfusions. Methodology. Previous studies have suggested an association between blood transfusions and NHL. This meta-analysis is based on a literature search of case-control and cohort studies evaluating the risk of de-veloping NHL in persons who received allogeneic blood transfusions. Researchers searched PubMed/MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews through December 2009. Alto-gether, 14 studies were finally included: nine case-control and five cohort studies published between 1993 and 2009. Studies on Hodgkin lymphoma or multiple myeloma were not included. Studies that evaluated autologous RBC transfusions and nonpublished studies available only in abstract form were also ex-cluded. Outcome was calculated and reported as relative risk. Heterogeneity was assessed with Cochrane Q and I2 statistics. Dissemination bias was evaluated by funnel plot visualization and trim-and-fill analysis. Quality assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results. The analysis showed a RR of developing NHL of 1.05 (95% CI, 0.89-1.25; P _ .42) and 1.34 (95% CI, 1.15-1.55; P < .01) in case-control and cohort studies, respectively. When pooling all studies, RR was 1.2 (95% CI, 1.07-1.35; P < .01). In subset analysis, RR of CLL/SLL was 1.66 (95% CI, 1.08-2.56; P _ .02). While cohort studies showed a statistically significant association with the development of NHL, case-control studies alone did not. The RR of NHL was elevated in both men and women and in persons receiving transfusions either before or after 1992. The disparity between cohort and case-control studies may be attributed to study-specific factors, includ-ing small sample size, failure to take into account confounding variables, and recall bias. Also, “There could be a true association between transfusions and CLL/SLL or the patients may not have had the con-dition diagnosed before receiving a blood transfusion because CLL/SLL can present indolently,” the authors note. Some Interesting Observations. Patients who received transfusions because of anemia appear to have a higher risk of developing NHL; however, anemia could be an independent risk factor for NHL or may just have represented an early sign of an indolent NHL. Second, many of the studies excluded NHL cases diagnosed shortly after a blood transfusion, mainly to minimize the risk of the transfusion being prompted by an undiagnosed NHL. “Interestingly we could observe that there was an increased risk of developing NHL in persons who re-ceived blood transfusions three to six months before lymphoma diagnosis. However, some studies showed that the risk of NHL remained elevated for several years after a blood transfusion. Because the transfusion latency periods were not subdivided in a standardized fashion, no further analysis could be made to determine whether the time from blood transfusion was related to developing NHL.”



Transfusion and NHL Study (continued from page 8) Limitations. The authors acknowledge some limitations of the study. They include the quality of the published studies. “Although some studies used registry data to confirm blood transfusion administration, many studies used self-reporting questionnaires to assess if patients received a blood transfusion. Patients with lymphoma might be more likely to recall a transfusion. Furthermore, a platelet or plasma transfusion can have been mistakenly reported as a blood transfusion. Second, latency and reasons for transfusions were not clearly stated in all studies. Similarly, in many of the studies, it could not be determined whether patients with a greater number of transfusions were more likely to develop NHL.” Given the results, say the authors, “A conservative approach should be used in determining the need of blood transfusion. Future studies should focus on the immunomodulating effects of blood transfusions and their lymphomagenic potential.” Citation: Castillo JJ, et al. Association between red blood cell transfusions and development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Blood. 2010 Oct 21;116(16):2897-907. RESEARCH IN BRIEF Presentations made at a symposium on transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) have now been published in the journal Transfusion Medicine Reviews. The symposium was hosted in Septem-ber 2009 in Toronto by Canadian Blood Services, and experts from Canada, the US, and Germany spoke about research into the known and suspected causes of this deadly transfusion reaction, as well as possible prevention strategies. TRALI was first described more than 30 years ago, and it remains one of the lead-ing causes of death among recipients of blood products. At the symposium, John W. Semple, PhD, a professor of Pharmacology at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, discussed the immunology related to TRALI, particularly the association between TRALI and recipient inflammatory responses induced by transfusion. James R. Stubbs, MD, chair of the Division of Transfusion Medicine at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., gave an overview of TRALI’s history, from its first documentation in 1951 to the cur-rent understandings of its clinical importance. Richard J. Benjamin, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross (ARC) Blood Services in Washington, D.C., discussed responses to TRALI in the US by organizations like the Food and Drug Administration, its Blood Products Advisory Committee, the ARC, and AABB. Dr. Jürgen Bux, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Blood Service West of the German Red Cross in Hagen, Germany, focused on TRALI reduction methods in that country. Mindy Goldman, MD, executive medical director of Donor and Transplantation Services for Canadian Blood Services, discussed Canada’s experiences with TRALI. Finally, Mark Looney, MD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, discussed work with mouse models and TRALI, particularly their suggestion of a “two-hit” model that may explain why some people develop TRALI but others do not. Citation: Saidenberg E, et al. Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI): A Canadian blood services research and development symposium. Transfus Med Rev. 2010 Oct;24(4):305-24.

We Welcome Your Letters The ABC Newsletter welcomes letters from its readers on any blood-related topic that might be of interest to ABC members. Letters should be kept relatively short and to the point, preferably about a topic that has recently been covered in the ABC Newsletter. Letters are subject to editing for brevity and good taste. Please send letters to ABC Newsletter Editor Robert Kapler at [email protected] or by fax to (202) 393-1282. Please include your correct title and organization as well as your phone number.





BRIEFLY NOTED The Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI), a global, nonprofit, standards-developing organization, has introduced a new statistical software system for comparing methods and evaluat-ing equipment. Called StatisPro Method Evaluation Software, this statistical tool is used for establishing or verifying performance characteristics of a laboratory test method. StatisPro can report on precision, linearity, bias, comparability, reference intervals, limits of detection, and limits of quantitation, based on current CLSI guidelines. Laboratories can use StatisPro to support compliance with regulatory and ac-creditation agency requirements, and test manufacturers can use the tool when installing new equipment at a customer site or when troubleshooting a problem. The tool can also verify comparability of new methods and systems; ensure comparable results across measuring systems; establish reference intervals or transfer intervals between methods and laboratories; and help users to properly prepare for inspection and accreditation. More information is available at: www.clsi.org/statispro/index.html The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recently held a State-of the Science Symposium to define areas of clinical research to help develop appropriate practice guidelines for both transfusion medicine and hemostasis/thrombosis. The symposium, held in September 2009, sought to identify phase 2 and 3 clinical trials that could be conducted over the next 5 to 10 years. A summary by members of the State-of-the Science Symposium Transfusion Medicine Committee, published last month, reports on deliberations by seven transfusion medicine subcommittees that developed 24 potential proposals in transfusion medicine. The 24 proposals presented were reviewed by an external panel that made recom-mendations and divided the proposals into three priority tiers. These 10 protocols rated in the highest tier:

TM-101: Randomized controlled trial comparing prophylactic platelet transfusions (given at a platelet count trigger of 10 × 109/L) vs. “therapeutic-only” platelet transfusions in thrombocyto-penic patients with hematologic malignancies;

TM-102: Evaluation of pathogen-reduced platelets; TM-103: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion trigger trial in critically ill pediatric patients; TM-104: Incidence of moderate and severe bleeding in thrombocytopenic premature neonates

treated with a restrictive vs. liberal platelet transfusion approach: the Neonatal Platelet Transfu-sion Threshold study;

TM-105: Impact of a liberal RBC transfusion strategy on neurologically intact survival of ex-tremely low birth weight infants: the Transfusion and Brain Injury Trial.

TM-108: Transfusion Trigger Trial in cardiac surgery; TM-109: Transfusion Trigger Trial in coronary artery disease; TM-110: Transfusion requirements in critical care patients with evidence of coronary syndromes; TM-112: Prospective, randomized optimal platelet and plasma ratios; and TM-120: Prevention of alloimmunization via pathogen inactivation of platelets.

Citation: Blajchman MA and members of the State-of-the Science Symposium Transfusion Medicine Committee. Clinical trial opportunities in transfusion medicine: proceedings of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute state-of-the-science symposium. Transfus Med Rev. 2010 Oct;24(4):259-85. LEGISLATIVE NEWS Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, this week introduced a bill that would repeal the 1099 reporting requirement contained in the healthcare reform law. Re-publicans and Democrats alike have condemned the requirement, which would entail for-profit and nonprofit businesses to submit a 1099 form to any vendor for goods or services in excess of $600 and to submit a separate year-end summary report to the Internal Revenue Service. The bill, S.3946, or the Small


http://www.clsi.org/statispro/index.html




LEGISLATIVE NEWS (continued from page 10) Business Paperwork Relief Act, was introduced on Monday by Sen. Baucus and co-sponsored by Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.), chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; Sen. Debbie Sta-benow (D-Mich.); Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.); Sen. Mark Begich (D-Ark.); and Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.). Sen. Baucus announced plans to repeal the reporting requirements last Friday during a meeting with Montana business leaders in Missoula in response to concerns that the requirements would place too large of a paperwork burden on small businesses. “I have heard small businesses loud and clear and I am responding to their concerns,” said Sen. Baucus. The bill is expected to find little resistance in either party; President Obama has signaled his willingness to do away with the provision as well. Both the Mon-tana Chamber of Commerce and the Montana Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business expressed support for the repeal. (Sources: Sen. Max Baucus website, 11/15/10; The New York Times, 11/16/10; Women Impacting Public Policy, 11/16/10) Last night, the Senate passed a one-month extension of the current Medicare physician reimburse-ment increase of 2.2 percent to hold off a 23-percent cut that was set to take effect at the end of the month. The “doc fix” legislation, introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), also codifies the multiple procedure payment reduction at a 20 percent cut rather than a 25 percent reduction. The Physician Payment and Therapy Re-lief Act of 2010 passed by unanimous consent. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) plans to schedule the bill for consideration when the House reconvenes on Nov. 29 “so we can send it to the presi-dent’s desk prior to the Nov. 30th expiration date of current [Sustainable Growth Rate] relief.” (Sources: Patton Boggs, 11/19/10; National Journal Daily, 11/19/10) Three Florida Centers Eye Merger (continued from page 1) blood bank suppliers to serve multiple locations. At the same time, the communities we serve want local control over their blood programs, so this merger allows us to put local community interests first and adapt to the new healthcare environment.” CBCF President and CEO Charles Rouault, MD, added, “The larger territory means our blood supply will be more reliable in emergency situations such as hurricanes and donors.” According to FBC’s interim president, Mike Pratt, whose center had been approached by the American Red Cross about a possible business venture, the merger would also help by “eliminating duplication of services,” which “can help keep reimbursement costs for blood as low as possible for the hospitals and other healthcare facilities we serve.” Also on Thursday, Steven Erjavec, chief financial officer at CBCF, said in an e-mail to the blood center’s vendors that the merger could “significantly enhance our ability to serve the people of Florida in the years to come.” He said the center believed that the state, its hospitals, and its medical facilities “would be best served by having a stronger, statewide organization based right here in Florida. Our overarching goal is and always has been to ensure a safe, available, and affordable blood supply for our communities, and this principle will guide and inform our merger discussions, and the structure of a potential new organiza-tion.” A fact sheet about the possible merger identified four benefits: cooperation over a larger territory, a con-sistent focus on Florida communities, greater efficiency, and combined core competencies. It said the centers “will pinpoint centers of excellence within each organization and leverage them. For



Three Florida Centers Eye Merger (continued from page 11) example, Florida Blood Services’ testing lab is a core competency that could serve the entire geographic territory of the new entity.” During a press call on Thursday, the chair of CBCF’s board, George “Bud” Scholl, said a number of things would not change, including the centers’ commitment to their communities, their donors, their clients, their employees, and the future. On the last point, he emphasized that the centers will continue their commitment to research and training that can advance the field of transfusion medicine. Details Still to be Worked Out. As the blood centers’ executives repeatedly emphasized during Thurs-day’s call, the details of the possible merger are still to be determined. For example, Mr. Scholl said the point of the news conference was “to announce the beginning of the due diligence effort. We don’t have a governance structure put together yet, and we don’t know where it would be located.”

“We don’t have a governance structure put together yet, and we don’t know where it would be lo-cated.”

Such details will be assessed in coming months. During the due diligence period, the three centers will continue operations without any changes or interruptions in service or leadership. Mr. Erjavec assured CBCF’s vendors that during the process, “it’s business as usual for us and those who work with us.” The centers currently employ approximately 2,765 people. It is not yet known whether the merger would involve layoffs, or how many. On the conference call, Rick Walsh, chair of FBC’s board, said that the centers “haven’t gone far enough down the line yet” to predict the impact of the merger on current em-

ployees. However, he said, the merger may not mean many layoffs, because “there is not a great deal of overlap” between the three centers. He added that the cen-ters “are anticipating being able to handle most of the consolidation needs through attrition and the like.” He said the merger could be good news for some employees: “We are anticipating new opportunities to be there for peo-ple that weren’t there before,” because the size of the new organization would require some new positions.

Mike Pratt Don Doddridge In terms of revenue, Mr. Scholl estimated, based on the current numbers for the three centers, that a com-bined entity could have about $400 million in gross revenue. Current Features of the Centers. FBC is headquartered in Orlando. It operates 42 blood donor collec-tion locations in 22 counties throughout Central and South Florida, as well as 41 bloodmobiles. It manufactures biologics in four locations and distributes them in eight. It supports 69 hospitals and a num-ber of free-standing surgical centers and dialysis units. Its blood donor testing is performed by Creative Testing Solutions, a joint partnership between Blood Systems and FBS in St. Petersburg, where FBS is based. Mr. Pratt has been heading the blood center since March, when Anne Chinoda resigned from her position as FBC CEO. The center’s search for a new CEO has been put on hold in light of the possible merger, an FBC spokesperson told ABC staff.



Three Florida Centers Eye Merger (continued from page 12) FBS operates 28 donor sites and 62 bloodmobiles in 42 counties in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. It manufactures and distributes biologics in seven locations and contracts its infectious disease testing to Creative Testing Solutions. It supplies 101 hospitals and a number of free-standing surgical centers and dialysis clinics. CBCF’s headquarters are in Lauderhill. It operates 13 donor sites in five counties in South Florida, as well as 45 bloodmobiles. It performs biologics manufacturing and distribution in five locations and con-tracts its infectious disease testing to the American Red Cross in Charlotte, N.C. It supplies 43 hospitals and many smaller facilities. The press release, the fact sheet, and a video of Thursday’s press conference were posted on the blood centers’ websites on Thursday. See, for example, http://fbsblood.org/ . GLOBAL NEWS Pakistan is planning to open 13 new regional blood centers and 78 hospital-based blood banks in the next five years as part of a new initiative to improve blood safety in the troubled nation by pro-moting voluntary donations. The National Blood Transfusion Program (NBTP) hopes to revolutionize the delivery of safe blood through the establishment of an autonomous blood transfusion system The pro-gram is being established by the Ministry of Health to promote nationwide access to safe blood transfusions, as approved by the Central Development Working Party in March 2010. The new centers will be established in Islamabad, Peshawar, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Multan, Bhawalpur, Quetta, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Hyderabad, and Karachi, NBTP National Manager Hasan Za-heer, MD, said. They will function as blood collection and distribution centers, serving public and private healthcare providers alike. The centers will recruit voluntary blood donors and process, screen, and test whole blood and blood components. According to the website of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, which operates three blood banks in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, most blood banks in the country are hospital-based and rely on 70 percent of their supply from family members and replacement donors. Cur-rently, there are 450 public and 2,357 private blood banks in the country that together collect approximately 1.5 million blood units a year. The Government Blood Transfusion Service relies on fam-ily and replacement donors for 70 percent of its supply, gets 10 percent of its stock from paid donors, and gets 20 percent from voluntary blood donors. All blood centers in the country must carry on operations with often faulty equipment and in the face of political violence and the threat of drone attacks. (Sources: The Peninsula, Qatar, 11/13/10; Pakistan Red Crescent Society)

A large man in the UK has found himself confronted with a weighty problem – he has been deemed too big to donate blood. Jamie Knight, 20, told the Western Gazette in Somerset that he was turned away from a blood service center because of fears that the donor bed might buckle under his hefty 6-feet, 9-inch frame. Mr. Knight, of South Petherton, said the policy was stopping him from potentially sav-ing lives. “I first started giving blood about three years ago. It was something I wanted to do after my grandmother received a blood transfusion. I have given at least six pints in the past and I have never had a problem.” While conceding that he is “probably a little bit heavier than I ought to be,” he does not consider himself

“massively overweight.” “I was gutted to be honest, especially as they are always appealing for people to give blood.” He went the extra mile to find out if there was a bigger bed anywhere in England where he could donate, but could not find one. Mr. Knight, a foundry planner for Cronite Castings in Crewkerne,


http://fbsblood.org/


GLOBAL NEWS (continued from page 13) was first turned away from a UK-run blood service center in Crewkerne last year. He thought the policy was a one-off glitch, but then the same thing happened last week at Martock. He said his offer was re-jected because he could not reassure medical staff he weighed under 25 stone (350 pounds). Mr. Knight said he had not stepped on the scales recently and did not know exactly how heavy he was. But he could not rule out that he might tip the 25-stone mark. “I have been in hospital several times, particularly when I was younger because of my height, and I’ve also been to the doctors and there’s never been a problem with getting on a bed,” he said. Mr. Knight is a member of South Petherton Social Club Carnival Club and appeared as the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk on this year’s float. A spokesman for the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Service said: “We cannot discuss individual cases. However, donors wanting to contact us with a query can call our donor helpline. We would also be happy to discuss the situation directly with the individual concerned.” (Source: Western Gazette, UK, 11/11/10) REGULATORY NEWS The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is requesting comments on the develop-ment of accountable care organizations (ACOs), it announced in the Federal Register this week. Comments must be received by Dec. 3. ACOs are promoted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Medicare Shared Savings Program, which promotes the formation of integrated healthcare delivery systems (in other words, alliances among providers), as a way of enhancing healthcare quality and lowering costs. Under the shared-savings program, an ACO may receive payments if it meets estab-lished quality performance standards and cost savings requirements. The Affordable Care Act also establishes a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) within CMS. That center will test innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures while preserving or en-hancing the quality of care. In the Federal Register announcement, CMS said it is “seeking to advance ACO structures that are organized in ways that are patient-centered and foster participation of physicians and other clinicians who are in solo or small practices.” Comments should include file code CMS-1345-NC. They may be submitted electronically to www.regulations.gov. They also may be mailed or hand-delivered to CMS. Mailing and delivery addresses are available in the Federal Register announcement, which has been posted at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-28996.htm. Questions may be ad-dressed to CMS’s Thomas Carey, at (410) 786-4560 or [email protected]. INFORMATION RESOURCES Blood Banking and Blood Products: Global Market Perspective New infections emerging across the globe remains a significant concern to the blood banking and blood products communities. Though awareness among consumers and health workers have helped in reducing the incidence of infection, nagging problems threaten the safety and availability of blood supplies. Rigor-ous testing and screening procedures, along with new technologies, have sufficiently reduced the threat of diseases being transmitted through transfusions. Though the overall situation has improved, instances of diseases spreading through blood transfusion are still common in developing and underdeveloped coun-tries. Awareness campaigns in these countries have had limited success in realizing an all-volunteer blood supply. These and other market data and trends are presented in “Blood Banking and Blood Products: Global Market Perspective,” by BizAcumen Inc. More information is available at: www.researchandmarkets.com/product/21035d/blood_banking_and_blood_products_global_mar

http://www.regulations.gov/

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-28996.htm


http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/21035d/blood_banking_and_blood_products_global_mar


STOPLIGHT: Status of America’s Blood Centers’ Blood Supply

Total ABC Red Cell Inventory

Percent of Regional Inventory at

2 Days Supply or Less, Nov. 17, 2010

13% 8%17%

6% 4% 9%

67% 72%66%

75% 75% 70%

15% 17% 14% 16% 17% 18%2%3% 3%3%3%5%

13-Oct 20-Oct 27-Oct 3-Nov 10-Nov 17-Nov

Red (1 day or less)Yellow (2 days)Green (3 days or more)No Report

18%

31%

14%19% 14%

3%

0%2% 0%7%

Total East Midwest South West

Daily Updates are available at: www.AmericasBlood.org

INFECTIOUS DISEASE UPDATES LEISHMANIASIS Incidents of leishmaniasis are rising in Afghanistan and Sudan, according to the World Health Or-ganization (WHO). Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is transmitted by certain species of sand fly. In its cutaneous forms, it causes disfiguring skin sores which appear weeks or months after a person is bitten. They can be treated, but only with repeated – and painful – injections of sodium stibogluconate. Visceral leishmaniasis is the most severe form of the disease, in which the parasites have moved to the internal organs, such as the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. It is deadly if not treated. Cutaneous leishma-niasis has flared since 2002 in Afghanistan, where it affects mostly women and girls. The number of new cases reached in 65,000 in 2009, according to WHO. But even that number “is likely to be the tip of the iceberg, as cases are grossly underreported owing to poor diagnostic tools and the stigma that is attached to this disease,” said Peter Graaff, a WHO representative in Afghanistan. Outbreaks have occurred re-cently in the Islam Qala area, on the border with Iran, and in the Herat province. In south Sudan, visceral leishmaniasis has killed 260 people since September 2009, and WHO said that number could double in the coming months. The disease is most likely to kill children who suffer from malnutrition, said Abdina-sir Abubakar, the head of WHO in southern Sudan. More than 9,000 cases of the disease have been reported there in the past year. As many as 500,000 cases are diagnosed each year, more than 90 percent of them in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, and Brazil, according to WHO. (Sources: WHO/Afghan Red Crescent Society press release, 10/14/10; Working to overcome the global impact of neglected tropical diseases: First WHO report on neglected tropical diseases; ProMED-mail posts, 11/4/10 and 11/15/10)

INFECTIOUS DISEASE UPDATES (continued on page 16)

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INFECTIOUS DISEASE UPDATES (continued from page 15) MALARIA An international partnership between US researchers and colleagues in Ethiopia plans to use geo-spatial tools to monitor and control the risk of malaria in Africa. Associate Professor Michael Wimberly, PhD, of South Dakota State University’s (SDSU) Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence, said the work builds on SDSU’s experience using geospatial tools to study West Nile virus outbreaks in South Dakota and the surrounding region, which is spread largely by a mosquito called Culex tarsalis. Malaria is also a mosquito-borne disease. The parasite that causes the disease is spread by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria is found in about 109 countries in the Americas, Af-rica, and Asia. The World Health Organization estimated that as many as 1 million people died of malaria in 2008. Most fatalities are in children younger than 5. The vast majority of cases are in sub-Saharan Af-rica. Dr. Wimberly said some of the techniques that SDSU geographers use to study West Nile virus can be deployed to also study malaria in Africa. “Malaria … outbreaks in highland regions can be affected by climatic variability, land use change, and seasonal movements of human populations,” he said. “We can apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems, or GIS, and satellite remote sensing to forecast the spatial and temporal patterns of malaria risk – where and when outbreaks are likely to occur.” Dr. Wimberly said the plan depends on a multidisciplinary team that links scientists who have knowledge of geospatial data and techniques with public health practitioners who have a detailed under-standing of local needs. (Source: South Dakota State University, 11/9/10) MEMBER NEWS Blood Bank of Delmarva Opens Expanded Donor Center The Blood Bank of Delmarva celebrated the completion of a major expansion project today, with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new Christiana Donor Center. The $12 million expansion began in the winter of 2008, and it has doubled the size of the donation center and increased the room available for all areas of the blood bank’s operations. The Christiana Center, located in Newark, Del., is the largest of the blood bank’s 34 facilities. It serves as the blood bank’s headquarters and houses its laboratories. The blood bank said the expansion was neces-sary for keeping up with the increasing need for blood donations in the Delmarva Peninsula. In 1999, the blood bank collected 62,207 blood donations; by 2009, its annual collections had risen to 76,627. Growth in automated blood cell collections and blood testing has also im-pacted the need for space, the center said.

A rendering of the remodeled center, from Nowland Asso-ciates Inc.’s website.

In a press release issued Thursday, Robert L. Travis, Blood Bank of Delmarva’s president and CEO, ex-plained, “To provide enough blood for local patients, we have had to recruit many more blood donors. We must also rely on new technology for testing and processing blood. We continue to provide special-



MEMBER NEWS (continued from page 16) ized blood services to the hospitals we serve. All of this takes additional space. We outgrew the Chris-tiana Center a long time ago, and it was crucial that we expand to accommodate the growth that we’ve seen so far and the many other changes and additions still to come.” The expansion project included renovations to 85 percent of the existing facility. Four new sections were added, including a larger donor room and a Laboratory and Product Management wing, which provides space for additional donor chairs, equipment, and future growth. The design and layout have been stream-lined to minimize the movement of donors and improve the flow of blood products from processing to distribution, the center said. The Christiana Center remained open throughout the expansion. For the most part, donors were not af-fected by the construction. The project was carried out by the contracting firm Nowland Associates Inc. Project Manager Richard Aultman said it was “one of the more complicated projects we’ve worked on – with so many complex phases. It was essential that all the phases were orchestrated perfectly and done quickly and efficiently without disturbing the process of collecting, testing, and distributing blood products to local hospitals. Although this presented unique challenges, the project was a success because of the solid coordination among the blood bank, architects, builders, subcontractors, engineers, and so many others.” (Sources: Blood Bank of Delmarva press release, 11/18/10; www.delmarvablood.org/news/, accessed 11/19/10)

***

Blood Bank of Delmarva also held a major blood drive this week, as part of the 9th Annual Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Blood Challenge. The University of Delaware (UD) hoped to land its fifth win in the contest, which pits it against the 11 other schools in the CAA. The drive was held on Wednesday, and all Blood Bank of Del-marva donor centers were closed so that most of its employees could work at the event. UD hoped to recruit 1,000 donors, 100 more than its number from last year. Blood Bank of Delmarva President and CEO Robert L. Travis called the drive “one of the most inspirational events of the year. For more than 12 hours, hundreds of students

pour into University of Delaware’s Trabant Center to selflessly give of themselves and save lives.” He said the event “makes me proud to be a part of this community.” UD initiated the competition in 2002 and won for the first four years. But Drexel University has eked out wins in the last four years. This year’s final counts are not yet available. The challenge has resulted in a total of 22,101 units of blood for the schools’ local communities in the past eight years. (Source: Blood Bank of Delmarva press release, 11/15/10) The Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) opened a new facility in War-wick last week, more than six months after flooding forced it out of its former location. Warwick was hit by historic floods this spring, and nearly 4 feet of water accumulated at the Warwick donor center, RIBC’s manager of Community Development, Frank Prosnitz, said. The center was able to set up a temporary donor center within a few days and continue its collec-tions, and it moved back into its regular center in May (see ABC News-


http://www.delmarvablood.org/news/


MEMBER NEWS (continued from page 17) letter, 4/2/10 and 6/4/10). However, RIBC decided to move to a new location. Although a similar flood should happen only once every 100 years, Mr. Prosnitz said, RIBC felt safer moving out of the flood plain. He reported that the new center had a great first week. He also said he loves the new location, which is close to a highway and to a neighborhood and is easy for donors to visit. The Blood Center of Iowa, a subsidiary of LifeServe Blood Center, moved from West Des Moines to Urbandale on Nov. 8. Last Friday was the final day of collections at the former site. Urbandale is just a few miles north of West Des Moines. Both are suburbs of Des Moines, the location of the blood center’s headquarters. The Blood Center of Iowa was founded more than 45 years ago. In April, it joined with Siouxland Community Blood Bank to become LifeServe Blood Center. The new entity collects blood for hospitals in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. (Source: Blood Center of Iowa website, www.bloodcenterofiowa.org/) COMPANY NEWS Novartis Diagnostics has announced that its Procleix Ultrio Assay, used to screen donated blood for HIV Type 1 and hepatitis viruses types B and C, has been granted approval for use in China and Brazil. Novartis Diagnostics launched the Procleix Ultrio assay and the Procleix Tigris platform in China at the Chinese Society of Blood Transfusion meeting Nov. 4-6 in Chengdu, China. In Brazil, Novartis featured the Procleix Ultrio assay and the Procleix Tigris platform during the HEMO-Brazil meeting Nov. 5-8 in Brasilia. In China, Novartis Diagnostics is collaborating with the Ministry of Health as part of the 2010 China NAT Pilot Program, sharing knowledge and best practices with blood centers using the Pro-cleix Ultrio and Tigris systems for nucleic amplification testing in their blood centers. Blood screening centers in China and Brazil currently receive 10 million and 4.3 million annual blood donations, respec-tively. Blood centers in both countries are incorporating additional layers of protection to the blood screening process to increase the safety of the blood supply from donor to patient. Novartis’ Procleix NAT Platforms allow blood centers to screen for HIV-1, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in a single tube, which eliminates the need for more manual processing. (Source: Novartis Diag-nostics press release, 11/15/10) PEOPLE Puget Sound Blood Center announced last week that it named Michael Cheever as its new development director. Mr. Cheever joins the Blood Center most recently from the University of Washington Medicine, where he served as senior director for Philanthropy. In his six years with the university, he was involved in all aspects of development, from overseeing special event fundraising productions to leading a front-line fundraising team with a focus on annual and cornerstone level donors and prospects between $10,000 and $100,000. “With the blood center’s close ties to the University of Washington – all our physicians are professors at the school – we could not be more pleased to welcome Michael Cheever to our organiza-tion,” said James P. AuBuchon, MD, president and CEO of Puget Sound. “The strides Michael has made in enhancing and growing their philanthropy and development programs give us confidence that he will do the same for the blood center. And his strong involvement in the community outside the University also speaks volumes to us as our mission is to serve the community. We’re looking forward to his every success,” Dr. AuBuchon said. In addition to his time at University of Washington Medicine, Mr. Cheever spent six years in development with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that post, he served six years with the US Navy. Mr. Cheever is currently a member of Sierra Club, Friends of the


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PEOPLE (continued from page 18) Public Library, Park Conservation Society, University of Washington, and Woodland Park Zoo. Puget Sound Blood Center serves patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics in 14 Western Washington counties, and provides tissue and transplantation support to 185 hospitals across the Northwest. (Source: Puget Sound Blood Center press release, 11/12/10) MEETINGS Feb. 12-13 SBB “Last Chance” Review, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, Houston, Texas

This program is designed for individuals preparing to take the ASCP SBB or BB certifi-cation examination. Physicians who are preparing for the board examination in blood banking and individuals wishing a refresher in blood banking can also benefit from this program. For more information, contact Clare Wong, (713) 791-6201, [email protected]. De-tails: http://www.giveblood.org/education/lastchance.htm

POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

Classified advertisements, including notices of positions available and wanted, are published free of charge for a maximum of three weeks for ABC institutional members. There is a charge of $110 per placement for ABC Newslet-ter subscribers and $275 for non-subscribers. Notices ordinarily are limited to 150 words. To place an ad, contact Deanna Du Lac at the ABC office. Phone: (202) 654-2917; fax: (202) 393-5527; e-mail: [email protected].

Quality Assurance Specialist II. Kentucky Blood Center seeks MT or CLS to support, implement and monitor quality assurance program plan to ensure adherence to standards and guidelines issued by regulatory agencies and accrediting organizations. Will assist in the development and performance of quality systems and focused audits to ensure AABB and FDA requirements are met; with over-sight of quality matters and problem solving; and with document control system including SOP’s, audit reports, FDA documentation and organizational forms and docu-ments. Will participate in departmental and organizational planning and training as appropriate and departmental on call rotation. Qualified applicants will be registered MT or CLS. Experience with MasterControl preferred. Must practice good customer service with both internal and external customers. Must be proficient with MS Office products, including Word, Access and Excel. Must be flexible, creative, adaptable and able to handle multiple tasks under pressure, able to work efficiently, tactfully, and effectively with people at all levels of organization. Strong written and oral communication skills, do-what it-takes work ethic and team player attitude required. Medical Insurance, Life Insurance, Dental Insurance, Paid Vaca-tion, Paid Sick Days, Paid Holidays, Long Term Disability, 401K/403b Plan and Pension/Retirement. Please apply at: www.kybloodcenter.org/careers.php.

Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance Manager. HemaCare Corporation provides customized delivery of blood services and products. The company collects, proc-esses, purchases and distributes blood products to hospitals and research related organizations. The Company operates and manages donor centers and mobile donor vehicles to collect transfusable blood products from donors. In addi-tion, the Company purchases blood products from other blood suppliers. The Company also provides blood related services, principally therapeutic apheresis procedures, stem cell collection and other blood treatments to patients with a variety of disorders. Join our team and make a difference every day! Become a part of our growing organization and help lead our team in developing and implementing Regu-latory Affairs and Quality Assurance policies and procedures for collection and manufacturing of blood components used in research and cellular therapies. Re-sponsible for ensuring compliance with regulations and standards set forth by federal, state, and local regulatory and accreditation agencies. Other responsibilities include: auditing, occurrence management, licensure, c-GMP train-ing, writing and reviewing procedures, training documents and validations. This position also includes the oversight of document control, record management and staff. Posi-tion requires the ability to work independently. Ability to



http://www.giveblood.org/education/lastchance.htm


POSITIONS (continued from page 19)

work in a team environment with effective interpersonal verbal and written communications skills is a must. Candi-date must be skilled in observation and review of documentation and be detail oriented. Computer experi-ence with word processing, spreadsheet and database programs is necessary. Working knowledge of AABB Standards, CLIA and FDA CFR donor center require-ments. A four year degree in medical technology or related field is required, MT(ASCP) or RN license preferred. HemaCare Corporation is a rapidly growing public com-pany that offers a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. Interested candidates should e-mail resume and salary requirements/history (In MS Word format only) to: [email protected] or fax to: (818) 251-5351. Reference job code #2295-ABC in the subject line to be considered. Authorization to work in the U.S. is verified using E-Verify. EEO/AA

Section Supervisor - Blood Bank. Supervisor of blood bank has responsibility for operational oversight of Blood Bank/Transfusion Service and works in collaboration with Blood Donor Program and Cellular Therapy Center within Transfusion Medicine Service. Demands of this role re-quire professional who is self-directed, motivated, and flexible, and also possesses excellent interpersonal skills. Ideal candidatemust be Registered Medical Technologist with a minimum of five years of laboratory experience, including two years in supervisory or lead position. Ad-vanced degree and/or specialty examination for appropriate section preferred. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, located in Lebanon, N.H., on the Vermont/New Hampshire border, is New Hampshire’s only integrated, academic, Level I trauma center. Home to the prestigious Ivy League Dartmouth College, the Lebanon/Hanover area is a vibrant academic and professional community offering excellent schools, lively arts, and unmatched quality of life in a beautiful, rural setting. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center includes a modern 400-bed tertiary care hospital, research and clinical facilities for Dartmouth Medical School, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic. In addition, we were the first hospital in New Hampshire to receive Magnet status and have been consistently rated one of America’s Best Hospitals by US News and World Report. Full-time, 40 hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Life Works Here. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at: www.dhmc.org. EOE

Medical Director. Oklahoma Blood Institute seeks Medi-cal Director to share medical oversight and administrative responsibilities for our full service community blood cen-ter. With 250,000 blood donations per year, we serve 160 medical facilities in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. Pref-erence will be given to M.D or D.O. candidates with blood center experience and board certification/eligibility in transfusion medicine. Oklahoma Blood Institute has high volume donor testing laboratory and AABB accredited reference laboratories located in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, with saphonelite in Fort Smith, Arkansas. We also have

active therapeutic apheresis and hematopoietic progenitor cell collection services. We provide NMDP donor registra-tion and apheresis collection activities. We have active cell therapy research projects and are establishing public cord blood bank. Other clinical research and venture activities are ongoing in testing and device development, epidemiol-ogy, public health and donor recruitment. Opportunities for wide-ranging medical experience are abundant, in this dynamic donor and patient oriented practice. Oklahoma Blood Institute provides competitive salary and benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, Flex Plan, PTO leave, Tuition Reimbursement and 401(k) Plan. Please apply in confidence to: Oklahoma Blood Institute, Attention: Director of Human Resources, 1001 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73104 or e-mail your CV to: [email protected], or fax to: (405) 278-3150. EOE M/F/D/V. Drug-Free Environment

Donor Recruitment Representative. Responsible for developing and building long-term collaborative relation-ships with new organizations, while maintaining ongoing involvement with existing sponsor organizations to foster ongoing blood drives. Position requires outgoing self-starter and motivated independent decision maker with ability to achieve goals through effective donor recruitment and territory account and calendar management. Minimum qualifications and requirements include Bachelor’s degree and/or three to five years marketing/sales experience with territory management skills where established goals were attained and surpassed; effective presentation, oral and written skills; self-motivated and self starter with excellent organizational skills; flexible to work weekends and eve-nings as necessary; dependable transportation with Nevada driver license and clean driving record. We offer competi-tive compensation package that includes health, dental, vision, pension, 401 (k) plan and much more. If your edu-cation and experience meet these qualifications, please apply at: www.UnitedBloodServices.org. Two full-time positions open. EOE/M/F/D/V

Director of Quality Assurance. Central California Blood Center in Fresno, CA has immediate opening for Director of QA, vital member of our Senior Management Team. Providing leadership for our QA department, this position is responsible for oversight of regulatory/guidance docu-ments, review and revision of procedures and forms; Hosts external auditors/inspectors as needed; Performs internal audits; Assists with management of licenses and certifi-cates; and reviews error reports and corrective actions. Fosters strong process control through appropriate SOP review and participates in validation activities as needed. Proficient in data analysis and able to recognize and solve problems involving technical matters. Ability to prioritize and set goals, share information and seek consultation is imperative. Also required are excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills, with ability to com-municate effectively with members of our management team and staff, and aptitude in creating written materials and training others in complex procedures. As Director,




this individual must be able to prioritize tasks and use independent judgment. Successful candidate will be Medi-cal Technologist, CLS preferred, with five years’ experience in blood banking and/or operations in regulated industry. Experience in using cGMPs required and experi-ence in Blood Center environment or relative quality experience in FDA regulated environment required. CCBC offers competitive salary and benefit package. To apply please fax resume to: (559) 224-1310 or post on our web-site: www.donateblood.org using careers tab, or mail it to Central California Blood Center, 4343 W. Herndon Ave., Fresno, CA 93722. EOE

Staff Accountant. LifeStream is not-for-profit comprehen-sive blood center located in San Bernardino, California. Individual will apply principles of Accounting to analyze financial information and prepare financial reports by compiling information, reviewing entries, completing schedules, preparing financial statements and utilizing appropriate accounting control procedures. Position re-quires high-level problem solving and attention to detail. Bachelor’s degree in finance or related field required, as well as three years of relevant experience At LifeStream, benefits include, but are not limited to, 100percent paid medical/dental benefits (for employees), paid life insur-ance, short term disability coverage, free EAP, generous PTO accruals, wellness program, flexible spending ac-counts and discount opportunities such as: insurance, family legal plans, PC purchases and admission to various entertainment and theme parks. To apply, please visit our website at: www.lstream.org and apply directly to Staff Accountant position. Contact Brianna Roe: (909) 885-6503.

Donor Recruitment Director II. Responsible for develop-ing and directing the blood center’s strategic donor recruitment and marketing plan to achieve annual collec-tion goals. Responsible for management and oversight of department including budget, staffing administration, and all mobile/fixed site recruitment. Minimum qualifications include Bachelor’s degree in related field, five years sales/territory experience (blood banking industry pre-ferred), and three years supervisory experience and provide dependable transportation with a valid driver’s license and clean motor vehicle record. We offer a competitive com-pensation package which includes health, dental, vision, pension, 401(k) and much more. Posting closes 12/3/10. E-mail application/resume to: [email protected] or fax to: (702) 869-8973. EOE/M/F/D/V

Donor Recruitment Manager. Lane Memorial Bank in Eugene, Oregon seeks an experienced Donor Recruitment Manager to develop and implement donor recruitment strategies and tactics to ensure that collection goals are met or exceeded. Will oversee both tele-recruitment and mobile operations, including adding new accounts and improving performance of existing accounts. Will develop metrics and collect data to improve donor recruitment processes, and identify key donor targets, including optimization of

donor recruitment software capabilities. Coordinates work of clerical volunteers on projects that support donor re-cruitment. Qualifications and requirements include: college degree and three to five years experience in call center operations, sales or tele-recruitment in healthcare or non-profit setting. Excellent people management skills; excep-tional customer service skills; and ability to develop high morale and group commitment to goals. Employer-paid medical, dental, life, and LTD insurance and retirement plan. More information/download application under Em-ployment Opportunities at: www.lmbb.org. Lane Memorial Blood Bank, 2211 Willamette Street, Eugene, OR 97405; Phone: (541) 484-9112.

Clinical Laboratory Scientist III – Blood Bank. Under general direction of Blood Bank Supervisor and/or CLS V(s), position will assume responsibility for functioning blood bank as well as act as a technical resource and pro-vide team leadership to staff working in assigned area. CLS must possess appropriate skills and theory necessary to perform variety of specialized testing and act as technical resource and leader in and assigned area/shift. CLS will evaluate new methodologies, reagents, and instrumentation and perform validations as needed. Also responsible for writing new procedures and will actively participate in review, revision, and implementation of section SOPs. Under direction of Lab Management, CLS will assist with administrative duties as necessary, such as staff scheduling and inventory control of reagents and supplies. As part of Lab team, CLS must perform accurate and precise work with consistently low error rate while maintaining aware-ness of sectional needs and contributing one’s skills and abilities to meet those needs. Monitor and review quality control documentation following established schedules and ensure QC is performed on schedule. Must actively partici-pate in internal and external continuing education programs to keep abreast of current practices and act as technical resource by sharing skills and knowledge with staff. Pro-vide leadership for troubleshooting, equipment maintenance, training needs, and new development. Asso-ciate’s degree with MLT (ASCP)/HT (ASCP), or equivalent in education and clinical laboratory experience required with five years’ laboratory experience (as CLS I/II or comparable position) or bachelor’s degree with MT (ASCP)/HTL (ASCP) or equivalent in education and clinical laboratory experience required with three years laboratory experience (as CLS II/III or comparable posi-tion). Full time 36-39 hours - 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Full time 40 hours - 1:30 p.m. to10:00 p.m. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, located in Lebanon, N.H., on the Vermont/New Hampshire border, is New Hampshire’s only integrated, academic medical center and Level I trauma center. Home to Dartmouth College, the Leba-non/Hanover area is a vibrant academic and professional community offering excellent schools, lively arts, and unmatched quality of life in a beautiful, rural setting. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center includes a modern 400-bed tertiary care hospital, research and clinical facili-ties for




Dartmouth Medical School, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic. In addition, we have been consistently rated one of America’s Best Hospitals by US News and World Report. At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Life Works Here. Applicants are encour-aged to apply online at: www.dhmc.org. EOE

Donor Collections Assistant Director. Blood Centers of the Pacific located in San Francisco seeks Assistant Collec-tions Director. Responsible for the oversight of all aspects of technical and administrative functions of blood centers’ collections operations ensuring quality, accuracy, excellent customer service and efficiency of department. Major responsibilities include staff management, staff training, project management, formulation and implementation of department goals. Requires BA/BS in related field; valid CA RN license; four years relevant experience in health-care administration/management (two years of which were in a managerial/supervisory capacity); valid CA driver’s license and acceptable driving record. Equivalencies con-sidered. Forward resumes to: Blood Centers of the Pacific; e-mail: [email protected] or fax: (415) 749-6620. Job Code: AD. EOE/AA

MS Program. The University-based regional blood center and transfusion service is accepting applications for a 15-month Master’s program in Transfusion and Transplanta-tion Sciences. Applicants may apply for one of two tracks. Blood Transfusion Medicine track emphasizes all aspects of transfusion medicine including immunohematology, blood center and transfusion service operations, quality assurance, component therapy, cellular therapies, trans-plantation immunology and independent research. Students simultaneously fulfill requirements for Specialist in Blood Bank Technology (SBB) certification. Cellular Therapies track emphasizes biology and therapeutic use of hematopoietic stem cells and other somatic cell therapies. Program includes significant hands-on laboratory experi-ence in selection and manipulation of stem cells and in development of novel cell therapy treatment protocols. Visit www.grad.uc.edu and www.hoxworth.org for more information. Application deadline: March 1 for fall 2011 enrollment. Contact: Pam Inglish, MT (ASCP) SBB, Hox-worth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati Academic Medical Center, 3130 Highland Avenue, PO Box 670055, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0055. Phone: (513) 558-1275; e-mail: [email protected].

Medical Director. The American Red Cross seeks a Medical Director for Puerto Rico Blood Region. You will provide guidance, leadership and oversight of all matters relating to medical practices and research of blood region in conjunction and consistent with BHQ Medical Office policies and objectives. Oversee medical and clinical ser-vices of regional centers and will be responsible for all medical policies and procedures of blood region. Success-ful candidate will coordinate medical communications between blood services region and local and national medi-cal community, provide accurate and timely medical and

technical consultation in transfusion medicine to all opera-tional areas of region, work closely with Division Chief Medical Officer and promote image of Red Cross. MD or DO degree with post-graduate training/specialization in blood banking/transfusion medicine required. Board certi-fied or eligible in internal medicine, pediatrics or clinical pathology. Board certified or eligible in blood bank-ing/transfusion medicine highly desirable. Extensive knowledge of current/projected trends in transfusion medi-cine/blood banking and hospital health care highly desirable. Knowledge of medical/technical principles of blood center operations. Must be licensed in Puerto Rico and all states served by region and/or Division, as needed. Must belong to PR Professional College of Physicians (Doctors) – as required by state law. Minimum five years experience in blood banking/transfusion medicine, or related field. Completion of blood banking/transfusion medicine fellowship and board certification in blood bank-ing/transfusion medicine, hematology and/or internal medicine are desirable. Experience in relevant medi-cal/scientific research and scholarly activities sufficient to warrant academic appointment is highly desirable. Re-gional travel necessary. To apply, visit: www.redcross.org/jobs and search for requisition # BIO6178. EOE, M/F/D/V

Medical Director. Our client, Community Blood Center Inc., is an independent, local, not for profit organization located in Appleton, Wis. They have been providing blood and blood component products since 1955. They are com-mitted to providing highest quality blood products and professional blood services at lowest practical cost to the hospitals and patients they serve. The Medical Director is responsible for all quality, system, medical and technical policies, processes and procedures, including those that relate to laboratory personnel and test performance, and for consultative and support services that relate to the care and safety of donors and/or transfusion recipients. The Chief Medical Officer reports directly to the President/CEO of Community Blood Center Inc. Appleton offers an out-standing quality of life with excellent educational and recreational opportunities, as well as a low cost of living. Contact: Peter Flannery, Flannery and Associates LLC, N27 W23953 Paul Road, Suite 204, Pewaukee, WI 53072; e-mail: [email protected]; phone: (262) 523-1206.

Quality Control Technologist- CLS and CLS/SBB (Two Positions Available). LifeStream is a not-for-profit comprehensive blood center located in San Bernardino, California. We are looking for licensed California Clinical Laboratory Scientist to perform quality control testing of apheresis/whole blood products, review complete blood count testing on apheresis donors, as well as maintenance and calibration on different equipment used in component QC and production. Position requires BS in medical tech-nology or related field, with year of experience desired. At LifeStream, benefits include, but are not limited to, 100percent paid medical/dental benefits (for employees),





POSITIONS (continued from page 22) paid life insurance, short term disability coverage, free EAP, generous PTO accruals, wellness program, flexible spending accounts and discount opportunities such as: insurance, family legal plans, PC purchases and admission to various entertainment and theme parks. To apply, please visit our website at: www.lstream.org and apply directly to Quality Control Technologist position. Contact Brianna Roe: (909) 885-6503.

Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking Pathologist. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Transfusion Medicine Service seeks fulltime (tenure or clinical track) transfusion medicine Pathologist. Applicants should be committed to excellence in clinical services, teaching and research (in field relevant to transfusion medicine). Our service en-compasses donor collection, therapeutic apheresis, hematopoietic progenitor cell collection and processing, blood component processing and compatibility testing. Experience in hematopoietic progenitor cell collection and processing is desirable. Attending responsibilities will be shared with three other staff physicians. Candidates must hold MD degree, be BC/BE in Transfusion Medicine, and must have or be eligible for a North Carolina medical license. Interested candidates must complete an online

application at: jobs.unc.edu/2500612. Please include a letter of application, Curriculum Vitae and names and addresses of four references. Visit: www.pathology.unc.edu for additional information. EE/ADA

Vice President-Laboratory Services. Our client, Com-munity Blood Center Inc., is an independent, local, not for profit organization located in Appleton, Wisconsin. They have been providing blood and blood component products since 1955. They are committed to providing the highest quality blood products and professional blood services at the lowest practical cost to hospitals and patients they serve. The Vice President of Laboratory Services is re-sponsible for all personnel, procedures, technology, supplies, and functions associated with donor testing, components manufacturing, product deliveries, and the reference lab. This position reports to the President/CEO and is responsible for 20 employees. We require an MT (ASCP) SBB or extensive technical experience Appleton offers outstanding quality of life with excellent educa-tional and recreational opportunities, as well as low cost of living. Contact: Susie Anshus, Flannery and Associates LLC, N27 W23953 Paul Road, Suite 204, Pewaukee, WI 53072; e-mail: [email protected]; phone: (262) 523-1206.

CALENDAR Note to subscribers: Submissions for a free listing in this calendar (published in the last issue of each month) are wel-come. Send information to Deanna Du Lac by e-mail ([email protected]) or by fax to (202) 393-1282. (For a more detailed announcement in the weekly “Meetings” section of the Newsletter, please include program information.)

Dec. 4-7. 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition, American Society of Hematology, Orlando, Fla. Full information is available at www.hematology.org/Meetings/Annual-Meeting/. Contact: American Society of Hematology registra-tion center. Phone: 703) 449-6418.

Dec. 9-10. Workshop: Product Development Pro-gram for Interventions in Patients With Severe Bleeding Due to Trauma or Other Causes, Bethesda, Md. For more information, call (301) 827-6129 or e-mail [email protected].

2011 Jan. 31-Feb. 1. 14th Annual FDA and the Changing Paradigm for Blood Regulation, San Antonio, TX. For more information, please contact Pharma Confer-ence Inc. at: (830) 896-0027 or e-mail: [email protected]. Feb. 3-4. 7th Annual FDA and the Changing Para-digm for HCT/P Regulation, San Antonio, TX. For more information, please contact Pharma Conference

Inc. at: (830) 896-0027 or e-mail: [email protected]. Mar. 19-22. Annual Meeting, America’s Blood Cen-ters, Arlington, Va. Attendance restricted to ABC members and invited guests. Contact: ABC Meetings Dept. Phone: (202) 393-5725; fax: (202) 393-1282; e-mail: [email protected]. April 26-29. California Blood Bank Society and South Central Association of Blood Banks Joint Meeting, Las Vegas, Nev. For more information: www.cbbsweb.org. May 10-11. Technical/Lab Directors Workshop, America’s Blood Centers, Minneapolis, Minn. Joint Session on May 11 with Quality directors; see below. Attendance restricted to ABC members and invited guests. Contact: Deanna Du Lac. Phone: (202) 654-2917; fax: (202) 393-5527; e-mail: [email protected].


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CALENDAR (continued from page 23) May 11-12. Quality Directors Workshop, America’s Blood Centers, Minneapolis, Minn. Joint Session on May 11 with Technical/Lab directors; see above. Atten- dance restricted to ABC members and invited guests. Contact: Deanna Du Lac. Phone: (202) 654-2917; fax: (202) 393-5527; e-mail: [email protected]. June 18-22. XXlst Regional Congress of the ISBT, Europe, Lisbon, Portugal. For more information: lisbon(at)isbtweb.org. June 20-23. Fund Development, Communications and Donor Recruitment Workshop, America’s Blood Centers, San Francisco, Calif. Attendance restricted to ABC members and invited guests. Contact: Abbey Spit-tle. Phone: (202) 654-2980; fax: (202) 393-1282; e-mail: [email protected]. Aug 6 (tentative). Medical Directors Workshop, America’s Blood Centers, Kansas City, Mo. Atten-dance restricted to ABC members and invited guests. Contact: ABC Meetings Dept. Phone: (202) 393-5725; fax: (202) 393-1282; e-mail: [email protected]. Aug 7-8 (tentative). Interim Meeting, America’s Blood Centers, Kansas City, Mo. Attendance restricted to ABC members and invited guests. Contact: ABC

Meetings Dept. Phone: (202) 393-5725; fax: (202) 393-1282; e-mail: [email protected]. Sept. 1-3. Educational Symposium and the 12th In-ternational Congress of the Latin American Cooperative Group of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Montevideo, Uruguay. Contact: Phone: + 598 2 900 5828; fax: + 598 2 902 4264; e-mail: [email protected]. Oct. 22-25. AABB Annual Meeting and CTTXPO, San Diego, Calif. For more information: http://www.aabb.org/events/annualmeeting/Pages/default.aspx. 2012 Mar. 24-27 (tentative). Annual Meeting, America’s Blood Centers, Scottsdale, Ariz. Celebrating ABC’s 50th Anniversary! Attendance restricted to ABC mem-bers and invited guests. Contact: ABC Meetings Dept. Phone: (202) 393-5725; fax: (202) 393-1282; e-mail: [email protected]. Oct. 6-9. AABB Annual Meeting and CTTXPO, Boston, Mass. For more information: http://www.aabb.org/events/annualmeeting/attendees/Pages/future.aspx.





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Three Largest Florida Blood Centers to Enter Merger Talks · ABC Newsletter-3- November 19, 2010...

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