QuidelOrtho Science BYTES Podcast (QuidelOrtho)

The syphilis epidemic in the U.S. is a growing public health crisis, with rates increasing by 76% from 2018 to 2022. Syphilis is preventable and curable, but early detection is key—especially for pregnant women, where timely testing can prevent congenital syphilis.

Don’t miss this episode on the solutions to this growing epidemic. 

About Our Speaker:

Dr. Lily Li is the Senior Director of Medical, Scientific & Clinical Affairs at QuidelOrtho. With a medical degree from Peking University and a PhD in Immunology from the University of Alberta, Dr. Li has guided the development of multiple infectious disease diagnostic tests at QuidelOrtho.

Alloimmune hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) may occur when a pregnant woman has an antibody against an antigen on the fetal red cells inherited from the father. Many antibodies to red blood cell antigens can cause HDFN, including those from the ABO, Rh, and other blood group systems. Women can develop antibodies either through previous pregnancy or transfusion.  Fatal consequences from this disorder have become rare with the appropriate use of immunoprophylaxis. However, to avoid the fatal consequences of this disorder, prompt recognition and treatment are vital. The risk for HDFN can be identified by testing the mother with an ABO group/Rh and antibody screen during the pregnancy. RhD HDFN can be prevented through passive anti-D administration to suppress the mother’s immune response against the fetal RhD antigen.  Some women may exhibit weak or discrepant results on RhD typing, or current results may differ from historical results. A common type of RhD variant is the weak D phenotype. Women with this phenotype have a weak expression of the RhD antigen and may present with variable RhD typing depending on the antisera or testing method used in the laboratory. Another type of RhD variant is the partial D phenotype where the RhD antigen is altered, potentially allowing an individual to form alloantibodies to the epitopes on RhD-positive red blood cells that are different than their own.  In this podcast episode, we will discuss the types of HDFN, the role that partial D groups, and the presence of anti-D as it relates to its prevalence, prognosis, and management.

About our Speaker:

Dr. Genghis Lopez is a Senior Scientist at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood in Brisbane, Australia. Genghis received his Ph.D. degree from Griffith University, Australia. At Lifeblood, he worked at the Platelet and Granulocyte Reference Laboratory and Red Cell Reference Laboratory and is now part of the Transfusion Science research team that investigates complex red cell blood group variants. He has published several papers in Vox Sanguinis and Transfusion journals reporting novel red cell antigens, novel blood types, and red cell antibodies including several associated with hemolytic transfusion reactions or hemolytic disease of the fetus and the newborn.

The fascinating history of the discovery of blood groups goes back to 1900 with the breakthrough that came when Dr. Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian scientist, discovered three human blood groups. These were the A, B, and O blood groups. Two students who worked with Karl Landsteiner discovered the fourth human blood group, the AB. These two were A. van Decastello and A. Sturli. These four blood groups together are what we today know as the ABO blood group system.

In this podcast episode with Dr. Jill Storry, you will learn the fascinating journey behind discovering blood groups and stay up to date on the latest blood groups that have been discovered. 

About our Speaker: 

Jill Storry, PhD, Lund University, Sweden 

Dr. Jill Storry is a professor at the Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, and is responsible for the immunohematology laboratories in the Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine. She is an American Association of Blood Banking (AABB) National Blood Foundation Scholar for her discovery of the genetic basis of the Vel blood group system. Her awards include the British Blood Transfusion Society’s Margaret Kenwright and Race & Sanger awards, the AABB’s Sally Frank Award, and an ISBT award for outstanding contributions to education. Dr. Storry has authored more than 60 original papers, reviews, and textbooks, and spoken at more than 100 international and national conferences and courses. She is a member of the editorial board of Transfusion Medicine Reviews, Transfusion and Immunohematology, and section editor for Vox Sanguinis.

According to the American Thyroid Association, as many as 60 percent of those with a thyroid disorder are unaware of their condition, and women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to develop thyroid disease. If left untreated, thyroid dysfunction increases an individual’s risk for other serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, infertility and osteoporosis.

Laboratory testing plays an important role to help diagnose and monitor thyroid disease states. 

About our Speaker:

Dr. Rea Castro is the Director of Medical Affairs at QuidelOrtho. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology from the University of Santo Tomas and a Medical Degree from the University of the East in the Philippines, and a Master’s in Public Health from Northern Illinois University in the United States. She has experience in both clinical and biotechnology product development covering multiple therapeutic areas. As the head of Medical Affairs, she is responsible for providing medical support of QuidelOrtho’s products throughout the assay lifecycle. Her clinical focus before going into the industry was in Women’s Health.

Each year 4.5 million lives are saved by blood transfusions thanks to blood donations. More than 118 million units of blood are donated worldwide every year but less than 10% of people who can donate blood will give. These repeat blood donors enjoy benefits of their own while providing their lifesaving gift. Donating blood burns 650 calories, reduces stress, provides an emotional lift and has physiological benefits.

In this podcast, Dr. Mark A. Levine shares the critical importance of blood donation and how repeat donors enjoy both emotional and physical health benefits.

About Our Speaker: 

Dr. Levine is an award-winning physician and lecturer with interests in health professional education, the history of medicine and community empowerment. For 14 years, he served as Chief Medical Officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Denver. Dr. Levine founded the Colorado Patient Safety Coalition and served as chair of the American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical & Judicial Affairs. He received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Levine’s father, Dr. Phillip Levine, was a pioneering hematologist who joined Ortho Products in 1944 and his breakthrough discovery of Rh factor led to advancements in hemolytic disease of the newborn and safe blood transfusions saving countless lives.

Did you know that women are 10 times more likely than men to develop a thyroid condition, yet often remain undiagnosed due to medical bias and lack of awareness? We often see women present themselves to an emergency department with health concerns that are brushed off as “stress” or “weight-related” versus conducting diagnostic testing to identify the root cause.

How can we address that?

Don’t miss this episode on how healthcare providers can address these types of biases including timeliness of diagnosis, screening practices, and interpretation of lab results to enhance the quality of care for women with thyroid conditions.

About our speaker

Jeff Houtz, Senior Global Product Manager

Jeff Houtz is the Senior Global Product Manager for QuidelOrtho covering thyroid and reproductive endocrine products. Jeff has 35 years of experience in research and development, product development, and medical education in a variety of disease states including reproductive and thyroid disorders. Providing accurate and meaningful diagnoses in furtherance of improved healthcare has always been a driver and motivator. Jeff has been instrumental in creating numerous CME and P.A.C.E.-accredited content for physicians, nurses, and laboratorians in the U.S. and Europe.

In addition to assay development Jeff is passionate about patient advocacy which is why he has worked closely with the Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Foundation and Thyroid Federation International. Jeff has also collaborated with LifeTime TV in support of programs on The Balancing Act and Access Health surrounding thyroid disease.

Jeff is also a family man married for 30 years with 2 wonderful kids.

Six Sigma is a popular way to measure quality. Sigma metrics have been adapted for the clinical laboratory by incorporating observed accuracy, precision and total error allowed (TEa). In vitro diagnostic (IVD) manufacturers have used Six Sigma to assess the quality of their assays using a small number of well-controlled systems to generate the data. QuidelOrtho has developed a novel approach to assess laboratory Sigma metrics for a broad range of assays using data from over 1,300 Vitros® instruments used in clinical labs. 

In this podcast, Johanna Miller, data scientist at QuidelOrtho, discusses the value of using real-world data to perform Sigma metric studies and how a lab can use this information. 

About Our Speaker: 

Johanna Miller holds a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Rochester and a master's in product development and data science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She spent 10 years developing expertise on Vitros systems and the data it generates, while working in product development. Currently, she focuses on developing new and interesting methods to use data at QuidelOrtho - specifically to bring insights directly to labs using Six Sigma quality scores. 

Reference intervals (RIs) are a fundamental decision support tool used by clinicians and lab professionals to interpret laboratory reports and assess an individual’s health status. The establishment of reference intervals, however, can be challenging due to many physiological factors that influence their values and heterogeneities that inherently exist in populations.

In this podcast, Dr. Lindy Crimmins will provide a comprehensive explanation of the influencing factors and evolving methodology of RIs from how they are established to how they are advancing.

About Our Speaker: 

Dr. Lindy Crimmins is a Manager of Medical Affairs at QuidelOrtho. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Medical Degree from the University of Illinois. Her clinical experience spanned from Emergency Medicine to critical care to primary care. Her time in the industry focused on clinical chemistry and point-of-care technical support prior to Medical and Scientific Affairs. Currently, she is responsible for providing medical support for QuidelOrtho’s acute care menu throughout the product lifecycle.

The World Health Organization estimates 3.7 billion people under age 50 (67%) globally have herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, the main cause of oral herpes, and 491 million people aged 15–49 (13%) worldwide have a herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, the main cause of genital herpes.  Although treatable, most HSV infections are often asymptomatic or unrecognized.  Moreover, management of HSV infections is complicated by overlapping clinical presentation of unrelated herpesvirus infections, such as varicella-zoster virus (VZV), requiring differential diagnosis.  Innovations in molecular diagnostics continue to play a critical role in the diagnosis and management of these diseases.

About Our Speaker: 

Lori Henderson earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bucknell University. She began her career in the laboratory working on drug discovery and then transitioned into commercial roles within the biopharma and diagnostics sectors of the life science industry. Lori has direct experience in multiple disease and therapeutic areas and currently focuses on sexually transmitted diseases and women’s health. Within the molecular business unit at QuidelOrtho, Lori is responsible for identifying and helping drive the development of products to meet clinical and patient needs.

Transfusion reactions are adverse events associated with the transfusion of whole blood or one of its components. They range in severity from minor to life-threatening and can occur during a transfusion, termed acute transfusion reactions, or days to weeks later, termed delayed transfusion reactions. Transfusion reactions may be difficult to diagnose as they can present with non-specific, often overlapping symptoms. The most common signs and symptoms include fever, chills, urticaria, and itching. Some symptoms may resolve with little or no treatment. However, respiratory distress, high fever, hypotension, and hemoglobinuria may indicate a more serious reaction. All cases of suspected reactions should prompt immediate discontinuation of the transfusion and notification of the blood bank and treating clinician. Learn in this podcast episode the evaluation and management of transfusion reactions and highlights the role of interprofessional team members in collaborating to provide well-coordinated care and enhance outcomes for affected patients.

About our Speaker: 

Dr. Aaron Tobian received his medical degrees from Case Western Reserve University. He is highly involved with the transfusion medicine community serving on the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies' Board of Directors and is president-elect of the board. Dr. Tobian has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Blood, and TRANSFUSION, and has been featured on BBC World Service, Today Show, National Public Radio, and USA Today. He is board certified in clinical pathology and blood banking/transfusion medicine and divides his time between research and clinical service. 

Sickle cell disease (SCD) patients are at risk of developing multiple complications from transfusions, including alloimmunization to red blood cell antigens, delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions and hyperhemolysis syndrome (HHS). While HHS is a rare complication of repeat blood transfusions in patients with SCD, clinicians and the laboratory have important roles in its detection and management. In this podcast, Wally R. Smith, MD, the inaugural Florence Neal Cooper Smith Professor of Sickle Cell Disease at Virginia Commonwealth University shares insights to screening for and managing HHS.

About Our Speaker: 

Wally R. Smith, MD, is an experienced implementation scientist and expert in clinical and health services research in sickle cell disease (SCD). He serves as Vice Chair for Research of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and was Scientific Director of the Center on Health Disparities at VCU. Dr. Smith has authored over 100 publications and served as an investigator on over 50 grants and contracts. He has been principal investigator on 26 federal or foundation-funded grants and contracts including: Pain in Sickle Cell Epidemiology Study (PiSCES), the largest and most detailed adult cohort that changed our understanding of SCD pain in adults and, since 2012, Start Healing in Patients with Hydroxyurea, the first-ever randomized controlled trial of implementation science in SCD.

In this episode of Ortho Science BYTES, speaker Tony Casina reviews the history of the association between blood type and development of diseases and whether literature answers the question if there are certain blood types associated with COVID-19.

About our Speaker: 

Tony S. Casina, MT(ASCP)SBB has worked in the blood banking industry for over 40 years with much of it in the commercial blood bank reagent manufacturers sector with hospital experience as a medical technologist and blood bank manager. Tony has provided technical support to laboratories throughout the world utilizing Ortho’s reagents and immunohematology test systems.  He has tested some of the most challenging antibody problems as part of his reference laboratory experience. Tony has been an active participant in the AABB serving on committees and currently on the AABB Board of Directors. He has contributed as a presenter to AABB and regional blood bank meetings educational programs. He was extensively involved in the development of the ORTHO VISION® Analyzer Platform.

References and Links: 

• https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types.html 
• Beyond immunohaematology: The role of the ABO blood group in human diseases, Giancarlo Maria Liumbruno & Massimo Franchini, Blood Transfus 2013; 11: 491-9, doi 10.2450/2013.0152-13. 
• Annals of Hematology. Blood type and outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Christopher A. Latz, Charles DeCarlo, Laura Boitano, C. Y. Maximilian Png, Rushad Patell, & Mark F. July 2020 
• The New England Journal of Medicine. Genomewide Association Study of Severe Covid-19 with Respiratory Failure. The Severe Covid-19 GWAS Group* Dr. Ellinghaus, Ms. Degenhardt, Drs. Valenti, Franke, Karlsen. June 17, 2020
• Garratty G. Blood groups and disease: a historical perspective. Transfus Med Rev 2000; 14: 291-301.

High-prevalence antigens occur in greater than 99% of the population. Antibodies to high-prevalence antigens are rare and may be difficult to identify due to the lack of antigen-negative panel cells for these antigens. Examples of antibodies to high-prevalence antigens are: anti-k, anti-Kpb, anti-Jsb, and anti-Lub among many others There is a need to proper identify these antibodies before transfusion to differentiate clinically significant antibodies, that could cause hemolytic transfusion reactions or hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn from those with little or no clinical relevance. Their specific identification is often difficult, labor-intensive, and time-consuming and it may be difficult to find antigen-negative compatible blood for the patient in need of a transfusion

Learn in this episode clues to recognize if an antibody to a high-prevalence antigen is present and how to apply practices for their identification in the lab and additional recommendations for patient management.

About Our Speaker: 

Shane Grimsley, DipRCPath; holds a diplomate in Pathology from the Royal College of Pathologists, UK and has been working at the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, NHSBT in the UK since 2009, as laboratory manager from 2015 and Senior Clinical Scientist since 2020. Since 2017, Shane has been the lead scientific advisor to the UK NEQAS Red Cell Genotyping scientific advisory group, compiling complex reports to help educate the users. He has been an active member of the editorial board for Immunohematology as well as a reviewer for Vox Sanguinis and Transfusion Medicine since 2019.

Shane is the winner of the 2020 Race and Sanger award from the British Blood Transfusion Society for outstanding contribution to the field of Transfusion, primarily for his work developing a genotyping platform for accurate prediction of variant phenotypes in patients with Sickle Cell Disorder. He also is a winner of the 2010 Margaret Kenwright Young Scientist of the year from the British Blood Transfusion Society, for his work resolving complex compound heterozygous allele combinations and the identifying the associated antibody specificities.

Shane is an international scientific speaker and a workshop instructor for immunohematology topics in conference programs, such as ISBT. He also has been involved in the identification of new blood group systems, new antigens and novel alleles.  Shane is helping lead a team of skilled and passionate scientists to resolve the world’s most complex immunohematology cases, contributing to ground-breaking projects that have improved the standards of care for patients.

Why Convalescent Plasma for COVID-19?

In this episode of Ortho Science BYTES host, Matt Dawson discuss why COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma has been used as a treatment and what are the scientific and clinical basis for its use with Dr. Lily Li.  

About our Speaker: 

Dr. Lily Li is the Medical Safety Officer at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics responsible for evaluating potential medical risks and guiding risk mitigation of all marketed products. She also serves as a Medical Director at Medical and Scientific Affairs providing evidence-based support to Ortho’s current and future products. Prior to joining Ortho, Lily had ten years of pharmaceutical R&D experience in Johnson & Johnson and led and advanced multiple programs of biologics and cell therapies through development. Lily obtained her Medical Degree from Peking University, China, and her Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Alberta, Canada. She completed her post-doctoral training at the Scripps Research Institutes, San Diego. Lily is the author of more than 40 scientific articles and has filed 17 patent applications.

References and Links: 

• Treatment of 5 Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 With Convalescent Plasma; Shen at al. JAMA. 2020;323(16):1582-1589. Published online March 27, 2020.
• The feasibility of convalescent plasma therapy in severe COVID-19 patients: a pilot study, Duan et al, Mar 2020, medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.16.20036145
• Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Time to Clinical Improvement in Patients With Severe and Life-threatening COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Li et al, JAMA, 2020 Jun 3. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.10044.
• Convalescent plasma treatment of severe COVID-19: A matched 1 control study, S. T. H. Liu, et al, May 22, 2020, medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.20.20102236.
• Convalescent Plasma to Treat COVID-19. Possibilities and Challenges; John D. Roback, MD, PhD; Jeannette Guarner, MD. JAMA April 28, 2020 Volume 323, Number 16
• The convalescent sera option for containing COVID-19 Arturo Casadevall, Liise-anne Pirofski. J Clin Invest. 2020;130(4):1545-1548.  FDA site https://www.fda.gov/

The need for a sufficient supply of safe blood is constant and globally there is an ongoing need for effective blood programs as they are critical to support patient management. The role of the donor/donation screening lab is fundamental to the protection and maintenance of the donor inventory and supply since it performs the screening of donors prior to collection of a donation to determine if the donor is ‘suitable’ to be able to donate on that occasion with the end goal of providing safe blood products for transfusion. 

Any donation screening laboratory would want to provide the most consistent, accurate, and reliable results possible. Learn in this episode how an effective donation screening program can provide the basis to ensure the collection of donations only from those donors considered suitable to donate, and then deliver safe, high-quality blood and components which minimize risks to recipients.

About our Speaker:  Dr. Alan Kitchen has been an independent consultant in blood safety and infectious disease screening since leaving the English blood service (National Health Service Blood and Transplant - NHSBT) in 2017. Initially trained in Transfusion Science, holds a Ph.D. in Virology from the Academic Department of Medicine, Royal Free Hospital, University of London, UK. Had worked in the English blood service for 40 years, over 30 of which were spent working directly in the field of Transfusion Microbiology. Prior to leaving NHSBT was a Consultant Clinical Scientist and Head of the NHSBT National Transfusion Microbiology Reference Laboratory. Previously Head of Microbiology at the North East Thames Regional Transfusion Centre, running both an operational screening laboratory and a small research program. Currently, Secretary of the UK Standing Advisory Committee for Transfusion Transmitted Infections, a long-standing member of the WHO Expert Advisory Panel for Transfusion Medicine, and a member of the newly formed WHO Blood Regulatory, Availability and Safety Advisory Group.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been already in our lives since late 2019 and the variants surge is rapidly increasing. Is there anything we can learn from the experience? Fast forward to the fall of 2021, what are the recommendations for Hospitals and Laboratories around the world for the current pandemic and future spread of diseases? In this podcast episode, we will have a conversation with Dr. Arturo Casadevall an infectious disease specialist and Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University about learnings from this pandemic, vaccines, variants, and how antibody testing can play a key role.

About our Speaker:

Dr. Arturo Casadevall is a professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He holds a joint appointment in molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His research focuses on how microbes cause disease and how the immune system defends itself. Dr. Casadevall serves as chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He received his M.S., Ph.D., and M.D. from New York University. His team is currently engaged in understanding how hosts defend against the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Dr. Casadevall’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the American Society for Microbiology Founders Distinguished Service Award, the National Institutes of Health Merit Award, and the Rhoda Benham Award from the Medical Mycology Society of America.  He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Description:

There are several measures to ensure safety in blood products, and one of them is Pathogen Reduction Technology (PRT) which is used in some instances by blood banks to help make blood transfusions safer for patients by reducing the pathogen load of a broad range of disease-causing viruses, bacteria, and parasites and help reduce transfusion reactions in patients.   With COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the globe, blood banks may consider pathogen reduction technology as an added processing step to help ensure an adequate and safe supply of blood for patients. This Podcast will provide background on the virology of SARS-CoV-2 and PRT, as well as reviewing the scientific evidence supporting the usefulness of safety measures in protecting transfusion patients from this new virus.

About our Speaker: Dr. Raymond P. Goodrich is the Executive Director of the Infectious Disease Research Center and a professor of Immunology and Pathology in the Department of Microbiology at Colorado State University.  His research group is currently focused on methods to safeguard blood transfusion products and to create and rapidly produce novel vaccine formulations that can be used to address infectious diseases. 

Discuss with the Vice-Chair and Medical Director of Pathology for a large, metropolitan hospital the challenges the lab is facing with the surging number of COVID-19 cases and how a high throughput antigen test has contributed to meeting the demand for more testing. In this podcast episode, we will explore those key points and more.

About our Speaker: Dr. Roush holds several positions within the Methodist Health System in the Dallas, Texas area, including Vice-Chair, Department of Pathology and Medical Director for Pathology, Transfusion Services, and the Transplant Immunology Laboratory. She also serves on several committees across the Methodist Health System. She is the author of several books and book chapters on the topic of blood banking and transfusion medicine in addition to articles that have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

Reading Materials: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/2/265 

Description: With increasing compliance requirements and resource challenges around the world, there is a growing need for the integration of digital platforms to reduce errors, reduce the need for double checks/signoffs, and provide greater process efficiency. There is a need for laboratories to implement workflow tools that automate processes and test rules to improve efficiency. Join our speaker in learning how in an evolving health care industry automation is possible for the laboratory's goals.  

About our Speaker: Aaron W. Hurst MLT(ASCP) is the Laboratory Supervisor of Quality Systems of the Newton Medical Center in Kansas. His responsibilities include supervisory roles as the second shift supervisor, blood bank supervisor, and chemistry laboratory supervisor. He still retains these last 2 responsibilities along with the quality systems management role. Aaron has devoted his medical technologist career to help evolve the Newton Hospital laboratory with activities focused on improved efficiency, applied lean management, and enhanced patient safety. Aaron has been a contributor speaker in National and International forums. He has been recognized by the American Red Cross, Wichita, for “maximizing efficiencies.” and recently by the Medical Laboratory Observer for Automation in Action in the blood bank.

Donor and product safety has improved significantly over the last decade as a consequence of the introduction of measures such as evidence-based blood donor selection criteria. In parallel, the implementation of quality assurance programs based on good manufacturing practices has also played a key role in improving the safety and quality of blood and blood components.

The main objective of a quality program within the blood bank and transfusion service is to minimize risk to safety and quality by ensuring that the lab’s processes will reliably deliver safe blood and blood components. In many countries, implementation of a quality certificate program has become a regulatory or government requirement; however, an effective program not only forms the basis for safety but can also deliver benefits to the Blood Service beyond meeting compliance.

Learn in this episode from AABB consulting services how commitment to safety and quality is available with the new AABB Quality Certificate Program – Based on AABB’s Fundamental Standards for Blood Collection and Transfusion, the Certificate is an internationally recognized distinction, acknowledging your facility’s commitment to a culture of quality and excellence. 

About our Speaker: Christine Bales is the AABB Vice President of the Consulting and Global Services and serves as a technical expert in Quality Management Systems for Blood Centers and Transfusion Services. Christine designs implementation models to be used as roadmaps for Blood Donor Centers and Transfusion Services’ facility accreditation processes and quality system improvements. She has experience as an assessor for AABB and a CAP inspector. Christine has over 20 years of management experience in clinical laboratories, blood donor centers, and hospital-based transfusion services. During Christine’s years as CEO and senior management, she led organizations through strategic planning, process improvement activities, and facility accreditation processes. Christine holds a Certificate in Organizational Leadership from Harvard University, a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Purdue University, and certifications in Medical Technology and Immunology from ASCP. She is a member of the AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies) ASCP (American Society of Clinical Pathology), ASQ (American Society for Quality), and CLSI (Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute).

Heart Failure (HF) is a common disease that affects an estimated global population of over 40 million. It is the most frequent cause of hospitalizations in patients over the age of 65, placing a considerable financial and social burden on patients, healthcare providers, and care providers. Accurate clinical assessment of HF and cost-effective management strategies are critical in improving patient outcomes and reducing the socioeconomic burden of this disease.

In this podcast episode, we will have a conversation between Dr. Christopher deFilippi, a cardiologist at the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, and Dr. Ivan Salgo to learn more about heart failure, how it is diagnosed, and the value of using the in-vitro diagnostic test NT-proBNP.

About our Speaker:

Dr. Christopher deFilippi is a distinguished cardiologist who currently works at the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute (IHVI) in Fairfax, Virginia as the Vice-Chair of Academic Affairs.

In his oversight of clinical research, he has built IHVI to be a national leader in site-based research. He serves on the Editorial boards of Circulation, JACC, and JACC: Heart Failure. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine. His research is focused on evaluating in-vitro diagnostics and proteomics discovery for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy guidance across the spectrum of health from detection of preclinical cardiovascular disease to diagnosis and treatment in the critically ill.

The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve. Health Care Companies Are the #1 Target for Cyberattacks and Data Breaches. The pace of the release of cybersecurity guidance and regulations for medical devices across the globe has been accelerating. Globally, some regulatory bodies have restricted their guidance to premarket concerns, and others have provided guidelines to include post-market considerations. One of the key tenants of all post-market cybersecurity guidance and regulations is the manufacturer’s responsibility to evaluate and maintain their product cybersecurity continually. This additional level of scrutiny and regulations only increases the need to act now. To prepare for and combat these cyberattacks, healthcare companies must make the necessary investments in people, processes, and technology. A reactive approach to cybersecurity is no longer feasible. It’s time to anticipate and prevent these attacks before they even arrive. Learn in this episode how new, predictive technologies analyze past threats to identify future threats. Ideally, this results in the detection of potentially harmful files or behaviors before an attack is successful.

About Our Speaker: As Ortho Clinical Diagnostic’s Chief Information Security Officer, Patty Ryan is responsible for defining the firm’s global Information Security strategy, roadmap, and operating infrastructure. Partnering globally with IT, Compliance, Commercial, Regulatory, Legal, Quality, R&D, and Strategic Marketing resources, she ensures that all Information Security controls operate effectively and efficiently, that staff is aware of their responsibility to protect client and proprietary information, and that the security team defines and manages information risk appropriately. Patty has over 30 years of IT experience, over half of that in Information Security executive positions. She has worked in financial services (Bankers Trust, Citi, CitiStreet), life sciences (Johnson & Johnson), and legal (Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen, and Loewy LLP) and brings a wide range of experience to Ortho. She holds a BA in Economics from Columbia College, Columbia University, and an Executive MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University. 

In this podcast episode, Dr. Akiko Iwasaki discusses the type of immune response developed in a person with COVID-19 as well as the role of the antibodies in the course of the pandemic and how the antibody tests can contribute to its management. 

About our Speaker: Dr. Akiko Iwasaki received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto (Canada) in 1998, and her postdoctoral training from the National Institutes of Health (USA) (1998-2000). She joined Yale University (USA) as a faculty in 2000, and currently is the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor in the Department of Immunobiology and a Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University. She is also a principal investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her research interests among others include innate immunity, T cell immunity and her research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at the mucosal surfaces. Her laboratory is interested in how innate recognition of viral infections lead to the generation of adaptive immunity, and how adaptive immunity mediates protection against subsequent viral challenge. Most recently, Dr. Iwasaki has delved into research looking at the immune response of COVID-19 patients and sex differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

READING MATERIALS:

• The New York Times. Your Coronavirus Antibodies Are Disappearing. Should You Care? July 27th/2020 https://nyti.ms/30U14v0  • The New York Times. Scared that COVID-19 Immunity won’t last? Don’t be. July 31st/2020 https://nyti.ms/2Pb6Dj1 

Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system responds to an infection and injures its own tissues and organs. It is a medical emergency, requiring early detection and treatment as it can lead to septic shock, multi-organ failure, and death. One in five deaths worldwide is associated with sepsis and 40% of cases are in children under five years of age. Sepsis is the number one cause of death in hospitals, the number one cause of hospital readmissions, and the number one healthcare cost.

Laboratory testing is essential in helping prevent, detect, and treat sepsis to minimize injury to the body and the risk of death.

About Our Speaker: 

Dr. Lui Forni is a Professor and Consultant Nephrologist and Intensivist at Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Guildford, England. Professor Forni earned a PhD in physical chemistry and subsequently studied medicine, specializing in nephrology and intensive care medicine. His research interests include pre-operative assessment of high-risk surgical candidates, renal replacement therapy, diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment of acute kidney injury, and predictive modeling in acute medical admissions. He lectures both nationally and internationally and has published widely.  He served as the Past Research Chair and is the Current Secretary of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

Innovation can refer to something new or to a change made to an existing product, idea, or field. In this episode of Ortho Science Bytes let’s discuss what Innovation means, its importance in the current healthcare ecosystem, and how this concept can impact a Lab's performance.

About our Speaker:  Chockalingam “Palani” Palaniappan, chief innovation officer at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, is responsible for driving a culture of innovation, with a strong focus on enhancing product development productivity and processes. Prior to joining Ortho, Dr. Palani served as chief technology officer at Epic Sciences. Earlier, he was vice president for research and development in the cellular analysis division of Life Technologies Corp., a life sciences company in Eugene, Ore., providing labeling and detection services for DNA, RNA, protein and cells. He also served as head of molecular diagnostics research and development at Amersham Biosciences, a unit of GE Healthcare in Piscataway, N.J. Dr. Palani has served as a board member for Terumo Global Business Management and the State of Oregon Biosciences and Technology Initiatives, OTRADI & ONAMI. He also received the City of Lakewood Mayor’s Inspirational Leadership in Healthcare recognition in 2017. Dr. Palani holds a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Northern Illinois University and was a post-doctoral research fellow with the department of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Rochester.

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets, or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.  1 blood donation can potentially save 3 lives and now the conversation is towards convalescent plasma donations as a promising therapy for COVID-19, the journey to support during critical times starts with the donor qualification. 

In this episode, Dr. Pampee Young will provide background on the needs and challenges of blood banks and donor centers for blood and plasma supply and practices sharing plans to overcome them.

About our Speaker:  Dr. Pampee Young. Dr. Young is the Chief Medical Officer of the American Red Cross. In 2018 Dr. Young was a professor of Pathology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she served as the Medical Director of Transfusion Medicine. Dr. Young has over 80 peer-reviewed publications. Her research interests at Vanderbilt were in the field of regenerative medicine using stem cell-based cell therapy and small molecular therapeutics. And currently Dr. Young’s efforts are in research on blood center innovation, product availability and safety. 

It is estimated that between 8 and 10% of the global adult population has some form of kidney damage.  Early detection of kidney damage is critical.  If left undetected, chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure which means regular dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant is necessary for survival.

In this podcast episode, we will discuss who is at risk for chronic kidney disease, screening strategies, and ways to classify the level of impairment.  In addition, we’ll discuss a unifying approach for estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the United States with the recommendations published by a task force established by the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology.

About our Speaker:  Dr. Claudio Suárez graduated from the University of Chile with a degree in Medicine and a specialty in Laboratory Medicine. His experience in the clinical laboratory at the University Hospital motivated him to get a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Systems at the University for Development in Chile. He is also Lean Certified by the University of Michigan.   Dr. Suarez had leadership roles in different types of laboratories, public and private, being responsible for clinical chemistry and post-analytical departments. In the second half of his career, Dr. Suarez extended his experience to the IVD industry, leading regional consultancy teams across Latin America for the design and implementation of lab solutions. He has been a regular speaker in different areas of laboratory medicine.  Currently, Dr. Suarez is the Regional Medical Director for Latin America and a member of the Global Medical & Scientific Affairs team at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. 

Can Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, be transmitted by blood transfusion? In this podcast episode, we will discuss with an Infectious Disease Specialist key points behind the precedent for respiratory viruses, factors to consider in an assessment for a pathogen to cause transfusion-transmitted infection, the data available, and the recommendations to maintain blood safety.

About our Speaker: Written on the promotional piece: Dr. Louis Katz is currently the Chief Medical Officer of Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center.   Dr. Katz is a board-certified internist and infectious diseases specialist who trained at the University of Iowa.  He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at the Roy and Lucille Carver College of Medicine, former Chief Medical Officer at America’s Blood Centers in Washington, DC, an ABC past president, former board member, and a past chair of its Scientific, Medical and Technical committee.  His transfusion medicine career has been dominated by attention to transfusion-transmitted infections. He has served multiple terms as the chair of the AABB Transfusion Transmitted Diseases Committee and served on many AABB committees and working groups.  Dr. Katz is on the Editorial Board of the journal Transfusion, has served on the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee as a member, industry representative, and chair, and is a current member of the HHS Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability. He has been the author of more than sixty peer reviewed publications and book chapters.  

Diabetes is a global health threat diabetes with the number of people living with diabetes continuing to rise. Diagnostic testing is one of the major tools to help prevent and manage the disease.  In this podcast episode, we will have a conversation with Dr. Ivan Salgo, Head of Medical, Clinical, and Scientific Affairs at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics about the role laboratory testing plays in the prevention and management of diabetes.

About our Speaker:

Dr. Ivan Salgo is the VP of Medical, Clinical, and Scientific Affairs at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, where he leads teams focused on multiple care areas such as infectious disease, acute care, cardiology, and endocrinology.  Dr. Salgo received his M.D. degree with Distinction in Research from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He did his residency and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology where he later joined the faculty.  Dr. Salgo’s past research includes the use of Healthcare Analytics to assess patient deterioration using multiple digital biomarkers.

A rare donor program is a collaborative effort of many blood centers and/or hospitals to combine their rare donor resources to supply what they have to patients in need. These centers work to identify rare donors by screening methods and inclusion in database systems.

Learn in this episode what resources are available to the medical community to ensure availability for patients in need of blood and why it is critical to national and international collaboration through joint programs.

About our Speaker: 

Sandra Nance has provided leadership to the American Rare Donor Program, American Red Cross Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics laboratories, the National Reference Laboratories for Blood Group Serology, Molecular Testing, Neutrophil and Specialized Testing. She engineered the nationalized American Red Cross SBB Program. She is now a volunteer for the American Red Cross and Emeritus Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. She earned her Master in Pathology from the University of Maryland and her SBB from The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.   Ms. Nance held leadership positions in the AABB, ASCP, ICII, and ISBT. She chaired the ISBT Working Party on Rare Donors and conceptualized the ISBT Working Party on Immunohematology, and as the past Chair, managed the Case Studies. She has been inducted into the ASCP and the National Blood Foundation Halls of Fame and has received the AABB’s Sally Frank, John Elliott and President’s Awards, AIMS John Moulds, CBBS Suzanne Ledin, MAABB Kay Beattie, New York Supervisors Ron Dubin, and UTMB Jean Stubbins awards. She is the past Editor in Chief of Immunohematology Journal of Blood Group Serology and Molecular Genetics, is a member of Transfusion’s Editorial Board and reviews for several journals. She developed the polyethylene glycol method for serologic testing and the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) to predict in vivo survival of transfused incompatible red cells. She initiated the International MMA Training classes so other countries can implement the MMA to assist with patients requiring rare blood. Ms. Nance has been invited to present over 250 lectures and has been a frequent contributor to the scientific literature.

Maternal health refers to the health of the women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.  Each stage should be a positive experience, ensuring women and their babies reach their full potential for health and well-being. Prenatal care includes screening and diagnostic tests and they can provide valuable information about the baby's health. Understand the risks and benefits. The obstetrician in partnership with the laboratory has tools that can contribute to maternal health, such as: • Prenatal screening tests which can identify potential genetic disorders and diagnostic tests, and, • Diagnostic test, which is the only way to be sure of a diagnosis. 

Learn in this episode what are the strategies to minimize the risk of alloimmunization in the maternal population and what are the recommendations for antenatal and post-delivery care testing.

About Our Speaker: 

Professor Robert Flower is a national leader in R&D at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. He has been teaching and supervising hospital and university blood banks for over 30 years. He has published over 400 publications with over 4000 citations and has helped over 50 students complete post-graduate research. In 2018, Dr. Flower was granted the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence at Queensland University of Technology. The following year, he was awarded the Peter Schiff Award from the Australia and New Zealand Society for Blood Transfusion. Dr. Flower’s current interests include translating genetics to routine investigations, molecular modeling of the structures defining blood groups, and evidence-based modeling of the risk of transfusion-transmission for various agents.

In Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients, one of the most critical treatments is a blood transfusion. A blood transfusion is used to provide normal red blood cells to the patient’s body. Red blood cell transfusions help lessen anemia and reduce the blood’s viscosity, allowing it to flow more freely, ease disease symptoms and prevent complications. Alloimmunization is common in patients with SCD and may complicate transfusion therapy. For many patients, a close blood type match is essential and is found in donors of the same race or similar ethnicity.

In this episode, learn why patient phenotyping and prophylactic matching to reduce alloimmunization is recommended for SCD patients and why donor source for blood donations of the same race or similar ethnicity is critical.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Stella T. Chou is Chief of the Division of Transfusion Medicine, board-certified in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine, and an attending physician in the Division of Hematology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Chou earned her medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY. She specializes in caring for children with SCD, those who make antibodies against red blood cell transfusions (alloimmunization), and those requiring apheresis. Her research interests are focused on improving red blood cell matching for patients through the use of innovative tools.

Her work has demonstrated that inheritance of variant blood group antigens in patients with SCD contributes to their high rate of red blood cell antibody formation. Her ongoing work focuses on the genetic matching of red blood cells and creating customized induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with rare blood group antigen combinations as renewable sources of red blood cell reagents to improve antibody identification and donor red blood cell matching. For her innovative research, she is a recipient of the National Blood Foundation Hall of Fame award. Dr. Chou is a worldwide recognized author and speaker with over 100 publications and lectures. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Chou serves as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

World Diabetes Day takes place each year in the month of November, created to raise awareness about the disease.  Diabetes is a global health threat diabetes with the number of people living with diabetes continuing to rise. Diagnostic testing is one of the major tools to help prevent and manage the disease. 

About our Speaker:

Dr. Amy L. Pyle earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Pathology from Vanderbilt University. Following graduate school, Dr. Pyle completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Chemistry at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Pyle took a position as Assistant Director of Core Laboratories at Nationwide Children's Hospital in 2011. Throughout her training, Dr. Pyle published multiple abstracts, papers, and book chapters, and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the scientific community.

The World Health Organization estimated that during 2019, 58 million people worldwide were living with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) which causes inflammation of the liver.  All types of hepatitis can be controlled or prevented. There is a cure for Hepatitis C; however, HCV infection is often undiagnosed because it remains asymptomatic until symptoms appear that are related to serious liver damage, a complication of the infection. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Bijal Parikh is the Medical Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory and Assistant Professor of Pathology & Immunology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. 

He is the author of numerous publications with his clinical research centered on aspects of laboratory testing involving viral, immunologic, and molecular diagnostics, with a specific focus on the implementation of next-generation sequencing approaches.  Recently, Dr. Parikh authored an article published in the Clinical Microbiology Newsletter titled Laboratory Strategies for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

After the success of our April episode, “Your Lab Journey With the Rh System and Weak D,” we continue the topic. Tune in for a conversation about partial D, the differences, types, and implications it has on transfusion.    

Sue Johnson serves as director of Versiti’s Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB) program. Her experience includes: Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at Marquette University Graduate School, Transfusion Medicine Program. Clinical Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, College of Health Sciences. Associate Director of Indian Immunohematology Initiative. Sue has authored numerous publications in the field of transfusion medicine and immunohematology and is an established lecturer on the topic of immunohematology. She currently chairs the AABB publications committee. Sue has taken an active role in the education of medical laboratory science students for more than 20 years and her knowledge in the Rh blood group system is globally renown.

Do antibodies really provide immunity against COVID-19? Are serological tests available today reliable enough to guide such critical decisions? In this episode, we will explore in detail the answers to those questions based on currently available scientific information.

About our Speaker: 

Dr. Fernando Chaves, MD, serves as the global head of medical, clinical, and scientific affairs for Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. In his role, Dr. Chaves is responsible for clinical trials, new product development, and key opinion leader relationships.

Dr. Chaves is a board-certified anatomical and clinical pathologist, with further certification in hematopathology, combining 5+ years of executive-level leadership with 10+ years of simultaneous diagnostic industry achievements and clinical hematopathology experience. He is a pioneering researcher and executive credited with discovering, testing, and bringing to market new laboratory tests for multiple medical conditions, predominantly sepsis-related and hematologic diseases. Dr. Chaves is recognized as an expert leader in the diagnostic industry with a passion for helping medical companies develop products that are immediately beneficial to patients in the most economical, efficient manner

Process Excellence is a proven way to cut costs, raise productivity, and improve service levels. PEx® combines the tools and methodologies of:     

• Six Sigma—measuring and reducing your error and defect rate
• Lean Thinking—eliminating waste to speed your workflow and deliver better value.
• Design Excellence—structuring a process from the outset so that it flows efficiently with minimal opportunities for waste or error

This podcast will provide the tools to understand the benefit of Process Excellence in your Lab to achieve goals regarding efficiency and performance.

About our Speaker: Dr. Alistair Gammie holds a Diploma from the Royal College of Pathologists. He worked for 22 years in the UK National Health Service. In 2016 he joined Ortho Clinical Diagnostics as Senior Global Director ValuMetrix. He is Lean Healthcare accredited. Dr. Gammie has been involved with Laboratory Consulting Services for over 20 years looking at workflow, simulation, modeling, Lean 6 Sigma projects, laboratory design, automation, and re-organization. He has looked at the workflow in Laboratories throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, the USA, and South America. He has been involved with Continuous Improvement and Top+ Business Excellence which places a high priority on ‘green’ and sustainability. Dr. Gammie is an EFQM European awards assessor as he has observed the use of the EFQM model in multiple sectors.

Description: During this episode, Dr. Claudia Cohn will provide background on the role of antibody titers for diagnosis and monitoring performed in the transfusion medicine lab and its clinical applications.

About our Speaker:  Dr. Claudia S. Cohn is the medical director of the blood bank laboratory and associate medical director of the HLA laboratory at the University of Minnesota.  She earned her Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Diseases from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins, working on the molecular biology and biochemistry of the protozoal; parasite Leishmania donovani. She went on to earn her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA. After medical school, she finished a residency program in Pathology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell College of Medicine, and a fellowship in Transfusion Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.  In her current role at the University of Minnesota, she practices Clinical Pathology, oversees the blood bank, and teaches medical students.  Dr. Cohn’s research interests include platelet transfusions, alternative platelet storage solutions, HLA antibodies, and their role in solid organ transplants and platelet refractoriness. She focuses her efforts in two areas: patient blood management and platelet storage and utilization. Dr. Cohn was named in 2020 chief medical officer (CMO) for the AABB organization where she works to strategize and implement ways that achieve AABB’s mission through the development of policies and by engaging the communities it serves. 

Review the role of extended antigen typing or phenotyping in Transfusion Medicine. How this practice plays a significant role in the transfusion of sickle cell, thalassemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome patients as well as other chronically transfused patients, preventing the development of foreign antibodies which may avoid the challenges that come later with complex antibody problems and brings the additional benefit of allowing finding compatible blood for patients in need of a transfusion. In this podcast edition, we will explore those key points and more.  

About our Speaker: Tony S. Casina, MT(ASCP)SBB has worked in the blood banking industry for over 40 years with much of it in the commercial blood bank reagent manufacturers sector with hospital experience as a medical technologist and blood bank manager. Tony has provided technical support to laboratories throughout the world utilizing Ortho’s reagents and immunohematology test systems.  He has tested some of the most challenging antibody problems as part of his reference laboratory experience. Tony has been an active participant in the AABB serving on committees and currently on the AABB Board of Directors. He has contributed as a presenter to AABB and regional blood bank meetings educational programs. He was extensively involved in the development of the ORTHO VISION® Analyzer Platform.

Description: Discover the marvelous world of Rh D system’s complexity and why weak D is clinically relevant with Tony Casina.  

About our Speaker: Tony S. Casina, MT(ASCP)SBB has worked in the blood banking industry for over 40 years with much of it in the commercial blood bank reagent manufacturers sector with hospital experience as a medical technologist and blood bank manager. Tony has provided technical support to laboratories throughout the world utilizing Ortho’s reagents and immunohematology test systems.  He has tested some of the most challenging antibody problems as part of his reference laboratory experience. Tony has been an active participant in the AABB serving on committees and currently on the AABB Board of Directors. He has contributed as a presenter to AABB and regional blood bank meetings educational programs. He was extensively involved in the development of the ORTHO VISION® Analyzer Platform

You, a Blood Donor: Be part of 200 years of Transfusion Medicine’s History

In this short program, entitled "You, a Blood Donor: Be part of 200 years of Transfusion Medicine’s History," our own Tony Casina, Transfusion Medicine Consultant, takes us through key milestones in the History of Transfusion Medicine and brings us to today and how the community met the challenge to maintain a safe and adequate blood supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Listen in as he discusses the honorable role of a donor of blood products, which can save up to three lives, and thanks the heroes who make this happen.

About our Speaker: 

Tony S. Casina, MT(ASCP)SBB has worked in the blood banking industry for over 40 years with much of it in the commercial blood bank reagent manufacturers sector with hospital experience as a medical technologist and blood bank manager. Tony has provided technical support to laboratories throughout the world utilizing Ortho’s reagents and immunohematology test systems.  He has tested some of the most challenging antibody problems as part of his reference laboratory experience. Tony has been an active participant in the AABB serving on committees and currently on the AABB Board of Directors. He has contributed as a presenter to AABB and regional blood bank meetings educational programs. He was extensively involved in the development of the ORTHO VISION® Analyzer Platform

References and Links: 

• Clinical Practice of Transfusion Medicine, 2nd Ed. 1989 Chapter 2: Petz LD and Swisher SN, Churchill Livingstone   
• https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood/blood-transfusions/history-blood-transfusion.html
• http://www.aabb.org/tm/Pages/highlights.aspx
• https://www.history.com/news/blood-plasma-covid-19-measles-spanish-flu