Thread: Kansas University Hospital Now has a program

Talk about an about face. In June 2011 the State of Kansas had no bloodless programs- Kansas Medicare had just lost a court case- but by Sept. 2011 they did. At least it wasn't reported that they had a bloodless program before then in any of the news reports I read nor in hospital video I had watched.
Thanks to Jan for the update.

Elora Thorpe who developed the program at St. Luke's moved to KU Medical last year ( in 2011 just literally across the river-different state ).


Elora Thorpe



Blood management program at The University of Kansas Hospital better for patient and patient pocketbooks

September 12, 2011
It's been said for several decades that reducing the amount of a precious commodity we use is the best thing we can do for our country. While it is usually said about oil, it is also true about blood use in hospitals.


A blood management program at The University of Kansas Hospital has reduced the use of red blood cells 28 percent in 18 months, with similar results in other blood products, and the hospital is still registering its best survival rate in its history, 38 percent better than predicted in national benchmarks.


"We know blood products have to be used in many of the procedures we perform," said Lowell Tilzer, MD, chair of pathology and laboratory medicine and medical director of the hospital's clinical lab. "But in spite of today's safety of blood products, transfusions carry risks. Research shows clearly that only using blood products when absolutely necessary results in better outcomes for patients."


Tilzer said even such traditional high volume blood users as heart surgery and blood and marrow transplant programs adopted the blood management initiative, resulting in better outcomes and reduced cost.
"We have saved patients more than $1.4 million a year in costs that would have been passed on to them," noted Tilzer.


Tilzer and lab director Shirley Weber embarked on a major education campaign for the medical staff, nurses and hospital administrators that included recent research. The hospital adopted rules for blood usage based on the latest research available. Care givers adopted new guidelines immediately and usage continues to drop.


"This program provides consistently good news," said Weber. "There are better outcomes for patients, savings for patients and the hospital, and more blood products available for the community when they are absolutely needed."