Dr. Emily Volk from the Baptist and Tenet Health Systems joins me to outline what you really need to know about Patient Blood Management (PBM).

Dr. Emily Volk

Dr. Emily Volk

It seems like everyone today is talking about “Patient Blood Management!” The interest (and apprehension) is widespread, but how to start and how to do it seems mysterious. Hospital administrators get their “beady little eyes” fixed on spectacular cost savings, clinicians wonder whether someone is going to start bugging them about a transfusion that is “out of criteria,” laboratory scientists wonder where they fit in, and transfusion service medical directors try to decide whether to wield their “flaming sword” to guard the inventory of the blood bank!.

Reality vs. Apprehension

This episode is a big picture, practical look at some things to consider when thinking about implementing or improving a PBM program. Dr. Emily Volk created a terrific PBM program, and is a system consultant for another very successful program. She knows what she is doing, and I’m excited for you to learn from her!

Get Dr. Volk’s annotated bibliography full of useful patient blood management references!

Dr. Emily Volk

Dr. Emily Volk

It seems like everyone today is talking about “Patient Blood Management!” The interest (and apprehension) is widespread, but how to start and how to do it seems mysterious. Hospital administrators get their “beady little eyes” fixed on spectacular cost savings, clinicians wonder whether someone is going to start bugging them about a transfusion that is “out of criteria,” laboratory scientists wonder where they fit in, and transfusion service medical directors try to decide whether to wield their “flaming sword” to guard the inventory of the blood bank!.

Reality vs. Apprehension

This episode is a big picture, practical look at some things to consider when thinking about implementing or improving a PBM program. Dr. Emily Volk created a terrific PBM program, and is a system consultant for another very successful program. She knows what she is doing, and I’m excited for you to learn from her!

Get Dr. Volk’s annotated bibliography full of useful patient blood management references!

About My Guest:

Emily Volk, M.D. is board-certified in anatomic pathology and clinical pathology, with subspecialty certification in cytopathology. Dr. Volk received her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and completed her pathology residency training at the Cleveland Clinic. From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Volk served as the Regional Medical Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Baptist Health System in San Antonio, Texas. She currently is the Chief Quality Officer for Baptist Health System, San Antonio, Texas. She has been the medical advisor to Tenet Health System for their evidence-based blood utilization initiative since 2014.

Dr. Volk is a past president of the Michigan Society of Pathologists and an active member of the Texas Society of Pathologists, serving on the Legislative Affairs Committee. At CAP, she has served on the Cytopathology Committee, where she was a regular contributor to CAP Today’s PAP Program Review; as Chair of the Patient Safety and Performance Measure Committee; the Public Affairs Committee; and House of Delegates. She is a member of the CAP Board of Governors and is the Chair of the Council and Government Professional Affairs.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this episode are those of my guest and I alone, and do not reflect those of the organizations with which either of us is affiliated. Neither Dr. Volk nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.

Time-Stamped Notes

  • 01:45: Intro to Dr. Volk and her background in PBM
  • 08:00: Is PBM a big deal? Do you need a consultant? Is it expensive?
  • 11:00: Why is PBM important?
  • 18:30: If blood can be harmful, how do we decide whether or not to give it?
  • 25:30: The three main elements of a PBM program
  • 26:40: Implementing blood order sets
  • 30:50: Two pathways for blood orders
  • 35:00: Fix your critical value notifications!
  • 46:50: One unit vs. two unit RBC orders
  • 49:30: Anemia/hemostasis management in a PBM
  • 53:45: Blood conservation in a PBM

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