Hospital transfusion committees: Effective or a necessary evil? Carolyn Burns guides you to a better experience!

NOTE: Continuing Education credit for this episode has expired. See below for details.

Dr. Carolyn Burns image-transfusion commitees

Dr. Carolyn Burns

Let’s be honest: Some hospital transfusion committees feel like a waste of time! Sparsely attended sessions with few “non-lab” participants are the norm in many facilities. Others wonder if five minutes of transfusion discussion in a quality or pharmacy committee is really having any impact.

There is a Better Way!

However, Dr. Carolyn Burns thinks transfusion committees are not hopeless! In this interview, she outlines her practical steps for building the perfect transfusion committee. She discusses how to recruit members, how to find “champions,” what to discuss and analyze, and shares what she has observed in the most effective transfusion committees. Whether your facility is doing a great job already or you are reading this and thinking, “I’m supposed to be reviewing transfusion stuff?”, Carolyn will help you go beyond just “checking the boxes.”

Dr. Carolyn Burns image-transfusion commitees

Dr. Carolyn Burns

Let’s be honest: Some hospital transfusion committees feel like a waste of time! Sparsely attended sessions with few “non-lab” participants are the norm in many facilities. Others wonder if five minutes of transfusion discussion in a quality or pharmacy committee is really having any impact.

There is a Better Way!

However, Dr. Carolyn Burns thinks transfusion committees are not hopeless! In this interview, she outlines her practical steps for building the perfect transfusion committee. She discusses how to recruit members, how to find “champions,” what to discuss and analyze, and shares what she has observed in the most effective transfusion committees. Whether your facility is doing a great job already or you are reading this and thinking, “I’m supposed to be reviewing transfusion stuff?”, Carolyn will help you go beyond just “checking the boxes.”

About My Guest:

Carolyn Burns, MD is a Board-certified Anatomic and Clinical Pathologist. After earning her Microbiology degree from the University of Kansas, and her MD from the University of Missouri, she completed an internship in General Surgery followed by Pathology residency at the University of Louisville. Carolyn was Chief of Pathology for the Jewish Hospital Healthcare System Department of Pathology in Louisville, KY from 1991-2011. She currently serves as a physician advisor for the American Red Cross Blood Center, River Valley Region and a consultant in patient blood management for Accumen.

Carolyn is the president-elect of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM). She is an active member of several other medical societies including AABB, College of American Pathologists, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (where she serves on the Education Committee), and the Kentucky Association of Blood Banks (where she is a board member).

Carolyn is a passionate advocate for Patient Blood Management. As a result, she has been published in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks, and is often sought as an engaging speaker on diverse transfusion topics.

Continuing Education Expired

This podcast episode offered continuing education credit for two years from its release date, but is no longer eligible for such credit.

To find Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast episodes with active continuing education opportunities, Click here or visit Transfusion News Continuing Education on Wiley Health Learning.

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. Burns nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.

The image below is generously provided by Dr. Carolyn Burns.

Slide 1 - List of possible monitors for an effective transfusion committee monitors.

Further Reading:

Thanks to:

Music Credit

Music for this episode includes “Cuando te invade el temor” and “Reflejo,” both by Mar Virtual via the Free Music Archive. Click the image below for permissions and license details.
Creative Commons license and link

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