Saskatchewan’s Blood Products Inventory Lean Team is awarded Premier’s Award for Excellence
The Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine is pleased to receive news that our transfusion colleagues in Saskatchewan have been awarded the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Public Service.
The Premier’s Award for Excellence recognizes members of Saskatchewan’s public service who make outstanding contributions to their province. Past recipients are people from all sectors of the public service who provide exceptional levels of quality service to clients or the public, develop innovative ideas, or demonstrate extraordinary leadership. As one of two recipients this year, the Blood Products Inventory Lean Team is no exception. Working with the health regions and the provincial Transfusion Medicine Working Group, the team optimized blood inventory levels across the province and improved blood utilization and handling processes. Increases in efficiency of the inventory management process resulted in a 24 percent improvement in the discard rate for red blood cells. Patients benefit, donor’s donations are used more efficiently, and Health Regions and Canadian Blood Services reduce the costs and human resources devoted to managing the blood inventory.
The CSTM would like to congratulate everyone who participated on the lean team. The recipients singled out by the presenters were:
Ministry of Health
Ms. Kathleen Handford – Project Manager, Hospitals and Specialized Services (Team Lead)
Mr. Luke Jackiw – Project Manager, Hospitals and Specialized Services
Mr. Patrick O’Byrne – Director, Hospitals and Specialized Services
Honourable Mentions:
Canadian Blood Services
Ms. Valerie Paulson – Hospital Liaison Specialist
Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region
Ms. Judy Hoff – Supervisor, Laboratory Services
Saskatoon Health Region
Ms. Judy Archer – Director, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Ms. Lorrie Baryluk – Laboratory Manager
Ms. Chris Bunko – Manager, Rural Transfusion Services, Humboldt District
Hospital