Center for
Bloodless Medicine and Surgery
at Hackensack University Medical Center

What's new at the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery?

The Center for Bloodless Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center has entered its third year of operation, and the number of patients coming through the service continues to increase. The 1999 census exceeded 1998.In July 1999, we applied for accreditation with the National Association of Bloodless Medicine and Surgery. NABMS has collaborated with Joint Commission of Accreditation of Health Care Organizations to develop standards by which a bloodless program can be measured. A survey team visits to assess the program and ascertain if the standards are obtained. We are proud to report that Hackensack University Medical Center is the first and only in the state of New Jersey to be accredited by NABMS. Only a handful of other hospitals in the country have received this honor.

In August 1999, the Perfusion Service under the direction of Garland Dance, Chief, donated six cell savers to the Watchtower. We had replaced our machines with a different model and were happy to be able to send our machines to areas of the world that are not likely to have this technology. While we may not know the exactly where the cell savers end up, we know that the Watchtower will find places where they will be put to the best possible use.

September 23-25, 1999 were the dates for the fifth annual National Association of Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Seminar. This year it was held in Brooklyn, New York. Jo Valenti, R.N., the nurse manager of the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery attended along with Garland Dance, Perfusion Chief and Liz Crum, R.N. These programs are exciting because it enables all persons involved in the field to learn the latest developments. It also affords the opportunity to meet with colleagues from all over the country. This networking is quite important to those involved in transfusion-free medicine since the field is so new and we all are geographically distant from each other. The speakers covered a wide variety of topics as they relate to bloodless therapy including hyperbaric oxygen, patient's rights, bloodless pediatric open heart surgery, and blood conservation.

As we move forward in this exciting field, we face many challenges. It is up to healthcare providers and patients alike to cooperate toward the goal of delivering the best possible transfusion-free options to as many persons who request this service.

Click here for A Message for our Patients-Winter 2000.(PDF: 176K)