The mission of the Southwest General Blood Management Program is to provide patient-centered care through optimal blood product management to improve the health and wellness of our patients. The multidisciplinary team is led by Dr. Peleg. The goal of the team is to develop a plan of care that uses the latest drugs, technology, and techniques to decrease blood loss and enhance a patient’s own blood supply. This approach reduces or eliminates the need for a blood transfusion.
Blood management is distinct from the concept of bloodless medicine, which is a programmatic approach to dealing with a small subset of patients that refuse blood transfusions. The goal of blood management is to ensure the safe and efficient use of the many resources involved in the complex process of blood component therapy. These resources extend well beyond blood products and include nursing time, technician time, medical supplies, medical devices, laboratory tests, pharmaceuticals, hospital beds and healthcare dollars.
There is a second option available for patients who do not want blood, even in life threatening situations. This option is called the Bloodless Program.
Bloodless Program
The Bloodless Program offers a team approach to health care that eliminates the use of blood transfusions, even in a life-threatening situation. All areas of patient care are involved.
The Bloodless Program meets the needs of patients who resolutely object to the use of blood or blood components, even in a life-threatening situation, whether this refusal is based on religious, personal or other conscientious reasons. Because bloodless health care includes such a variety of specialties and some alternatives can require time to be effective, it is very important for patients to contact the Bloodless Program as early as possible in the course of treatment and to receive a referral to a participating physician.