Two Horizon hospitals receive national designation for reducing unnecessary red blood cell transfusions

(SAINT JOHN/MONCTON) – Horizon Health Network’s (Horizon) Saint John Regional Hospital (SJRH) and The Moncton Hospital (TMH) have been recognized nationally for their efforts to help strengthen Canada’s blood supply.

SJRH and TMH were recently designated as “Using Blood Wisely” hospitals, joining more than 180 sites across Canada working to reduce unnecessary red blood cell transfusions.

The national program is a partnership between Choosing Wisely Canada and Canadian Blood Services.

“We are thrilled that our efforts to ensure blood is used for the right purpose have been recognized as part of this national campaign,” said Claire Wright, Manager, Transfusion Medicine and Stem Cell Laboratories at SJRH. “Helping to conserve this critically important resource that saves lives and protects health is a priority for us.”

To become a Using Blood Wisely hospital, facilities must meet or exceed national benchmarks and maintain those standards. Hospitals that do not meet the benchmarks can enrol in a quality improvement initiative and apply once they do.

According to Choosing Wisely Canada, a clinician-led campaign aimed at reducing unnecessary tests and treatments, inappropriate transfusion practices are common in hospitals, although there has been an overall decline in recent years.

The initiative comes at a critical time, with demand for blood projected to increase by nearly 10 per cent over the next five years, according to Canadian Blood Services.

“We’re proud of our teams at the Saint John Regional Hospital and The Moncton Hospital for earning this designation,” said Jeff Carter, Horizon’s VP Professional Services. “Initiatives such as this support Horizon’s strategic pillar of delivery excellence in hospital care across the province.”

Four other New Brunswick hospitals also have the Using Blood Wisely designation.

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