Becker's Hospital Review

55 Executive Briefing Ohio State studied its ordering patterns and 85 percent of its blood supply now comes in on standing orders. This means employees don't have to spend valuable time ordering and reordering blood. One reason the Wexner Medical Center partnered with Versiti was the organization's reputation for quality and excellent customer service. Ohio State appreciated Versiti's capabilities like low titer Type O+ fresh whole blood to be used for massive transfusion primarily in trauma cases, antigen-negative units, a reference lab and 24/7 medical coverage. According to Mr. Miskel. "Our reference lab has proven to be invaluable in terms of genotyping patients whose treatment requires blood matched to a molecular level. ," Going further, Miskel shares, Versiti also provides a unique blood unit antigen query service, which leverages our highly genotyped donor base - the most extensive in the country. Ohio State loves the difference that they've seen over the last couple of years in being able to rapidly scan and locate units in their inventory via antigen query to meet the very specific antigen profile they're seeking for a patient." In addition to its technical capabilities, Versiti has found that communication is essential for effective blood supply management. Its physicians are always available to partners like Ohio State. Versiti holds weekly calls with hospitals to ensure that inventories are managed well. "It sounds easy, but if you don't put people behind it and prioritize it, it doesn't always happen," Mr. Miskel said. Versiti has also increased its focus on diverse donors. In the last year or two, the organization has educated communities of color about blood donation. This has resulted in material increases in the number of diverse units collected. "Diverse blood matters," Mr. Miskel said. "Beyond ABO matching, more sophisticated matching is often needed for patients that may reject certain types of blood. Blood with an Ro subtype is very valuable because it is a match for treating patients with special needs like sickle cell disease. We have found that 44% of our African American donors have this Ro subtype (around a tenfold higher frequency than Caucasians). When that blood is identified and goes into the inventory, it's more likely to match with a patient with a very special need. Our hospital partners place high value on our ability to rapidly identify and provide these critical and highly-specialized blood products. " During the pandemic, hospitals in Columbus met multiple times per week. It rapidly became clear that Ohio State's blood supply inventory levels were in a better position than those of the other hospitals. "Since we took on Ohio State as a partner, they've grown rapidly in terms of the breadth and depth of their services," Mr. Miskel said. "They've added ambulatory centers and other programs that have grown significantly. The blood provision they need now is very different than it was three years ago. They've been amazed that we have kept up with that demand, but we can do it because we are connected and feel like a real partner." This type of strategic partnerships exemplifies how innovative blood supply management practices increase patient satisfaction and contribute to efficient care. Understanding the local community is the key to increased donor recruitment The health of any local community starts with the health of the independent community blood centers. This means blood centers must understand both current donors and the potential donor community. "We need to learn what types of engagements will inspire the younger generations," Ms. Sandhu said. "We continue to think about technological advancements that will provide a greater sense of connection while respecting the privacy requirements of donors and patients." Engagement with donors also requires a macro approach. National partnerships through Blood Centers of America (BCA), organizations like Abbott and other industry players has enabled Stanford Blood Center to collaborate and think innovatively about new opportunities. "We are exploring how to use virtual reality, for example, to engage with younger donors and provide them with a meaningful experience," Ms. Sandhu said. "We must identify what our local communities are responding to and then leverage national partnerships to think outside the box and execute on those ideas." National networks help independent community blood centers strengthen capabilities When community blood centers face gaps or shortages, they can turn to national organizations like Blood Centers of America for help. As Ms. Sandhu observed, "We are able to learn about best practices and lean on each other for specialty services. For example, both Versiti and Stanford Blood Center have specialty laboratories, so we support other blood center partners, local and regional hospitals, and other community partners that need very specific or sophisticated testing. Our collective work impacts not only transfusions, but other areas as well. As an example, specialty laboratories support transplant programs." "We must identify what our local communities are responding to and then leverage national partnerships to think outside the box and execute on those ideas." Harpreet Sandhu, CEO, Stanford Blood Center (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Chairperson of Blood Centers of America "It sounds easy, but if you don't put people behind it and prioritize it, it doesn't always happen." Chris Miskel, President and CEO, Versiti

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