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With rising blood costs and stricter guidelines on blood donation, eligible blood donors are in high demand. To schedule an appointment to donate blood at BWH call ext. 2-6620. BWH’s Blood Donor Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon., Wed., and Thurs.; 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tues.; and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
As the need for blood donation and transfusion research escalates, the Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine at BWH, Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has realized steady progress. Created in 2000, the Joint Program is largely supported by all three institutions as well as the National Institutes of Health and is one of only a few of its kind in the nation.
Integrating the clinical, teaching and research functions of three institution’s blood programs is a long-term and complex task. However, it is one that Leslie Silberstein, MD welcomed. Silberstein was recruited from University of Pennsylvania last year to direct the Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine.
According to Silberstein, the field of transfusion medicine has evolved from the simple collection of a pint of whole blood to the complex isolation and transfusion of specific blood cells. The Joint Program’s training component is designed to groom experts needed for this emerging field. All transfusion medicine fellows now rotate in the three institutions and the program’s physicians have privileges at the three institutions as well.
In addition, the clinical operations of the Joint Program encompass donor collection, adult/pediatric transfusion services, adult/pediatric therapeutic services and cell manipulation and cryopreservation.
“One of the program’s major goals is to utilize new technologies to make collection of blood products more efficient,” said Silberstein, who explains that technology will soon make the separation of plasma and red blood cells possible during the time of collection. Such technologies will make it possible to collect double the amount of blood collected in a standard half-hour in only an additional 15 minutes.
“In the future, we can steer collections based on what specific types of blood products the respective institution needs on that particular day,” added Silberstein.
Silberstein explained that BWH/DFCI is only 15 percent self sufficient with its whole blood/red blood cell supply. The remainder of blood products are purchased through the American Red Cross, which is associated with substantial costs. “BWH/DFCI should be collecting at least 50 percent of its blood supply in the near future. Together, with the help of our volunteer donors and staff, we’ll work to make that feasible,” said Silberstein.
In addition to increasing efficiency in blood collection, another goal of the program is to increase communication between the various institutions’ departments and their blood centers.
“The blood bank touches on all other aspects of the institution and serves as a resource to all departments,” said Silberstein. “It is imperative to have two-way communication between the blood bank and other hospital departments such as the OR, hematology/oncology, transplant services, NICU and ER/trauma services. Such communication will dictate the institutional needs of blood supplies and shape the strategy on blood collection.”
For more information on the Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, email Silberstein (lsilberstein@partners.org). For more information on blood donation or collection at BWH, contact Denise Fountain via email (dfountain@partners.org).