HAABB 2025 Fall Meeting Preview
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CASE STUDY - Sickle Cell: Anti-Jsb and Gene Therapy
David Baker Blood Bank Supervisor
St. Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis, MO
This will be a case report on a pediatric sickle cell patient. We’ll follow our patient’s adventures through transfusion therapy to gene therapy. The case report will provide a review of sickle cell disease, the Jsb antibody, and gene therapy.
David has been a blood banker for 30+ years. The last 24 years of his blood bank adventure have taken place at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The motto at Children’s is “Do what’s right for kids.” He’s done his best to honor that mission both at work and at home where he and his wife, Kari, have 4 kids (3 in college and 1 who is the best teacher in Missouri).
At work, he just loves being a part of a team of wonderful blood bankers. They are a hard working, smart, and fun group!
At home, he just thanks his luck stars that he has such a wonderful family to adventure with. His wife and kids are his best friends, and that’s all a guy can ask for!
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The Body’s Blueprint for a Second Chance: Understanding HLA in Kidney Transplantation
Farhana Diba
HLA Technologist
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Imagine your body as highly secure building, and your immune system as the security team. Every cell in your body has a unique “ID Badge” on its surface, like a barcode, that tells the immune system, “I belong here!” These ID badges are called Human Leukocyte Antigens, or HLA.
Everyone has a unique combination of HLA, inherited from their parents. This is why it’s so hard to find a perfect match for organ transplants- the closer the HLA fingerprints of the donor and recipient, the less likely the recipient’s immune system will see the new organ as an “invader” and attack it.
This presentation will explore kidney transplantation, and the importance of the HLA testing performed in finding a donor/recipient match including the challenges when the recipient is an employee of the lab!
Fahana Diba holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Farhana began working in the US in 2016 at where she later obtained her MBA from Webster University in St. Louis. She joined the Laboratory at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis Missouri starting as a Molecular Technologist in 2020 and transferring to the HLA Laboratory in 2022 where she is currently employed.
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CASE STUDY - It's Not What You Think!
Roxie Gould
IRL Technologist III
American Red Cross, Maryland Heights, MO
A case study discussing an immunohematology reference lab’s approach to identifying an unknown antibody to a high prevalence antigen, as well as discussion regarding specific identification methods and transfusion considerations when dealing with this antibody.
Roxie is originally from Florida, and moved to the St Louis region in 2015. She worked as a phlebotomist for several years before deciding that face to face interaction with patients just wasn’t her thing. Medical laboratory science looked interesting, so she enrolled in classes at St Louis University to qualify to sit for her Technologist in Blood Banking and Technologist in Chemistry ASCP certifications. Since earning her certifications in 2017, Roxie has been happily avoiding patient contact by working first in hospital blood banks, then immunohematology reference labs. She has been at her current position at the American Red Cross’ St Louis region IRL since 2022, and plans to enter the ARC SBB program in the coming year.
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF SEROLOGY & PEAKS OF GENOMICS
Megan Dupont Lead Technologist, Immunohematology Reference Laboratory Community Blood Center, Kansas City, MO
Lynsi Rahorst Manager, Education & Training, IRL/Genomics Labs New York Blood Center Enterprises, Kansas City, MO
What do you do when you discover an unexpected antigen typing? Do you investigate history, rule out sample switch, opt for a different serologic technique, or refer for DNA testing? What about when serologic findings leave you with more questions than answers? Which test do you perform next, and once the antibody is identified, how is clinical relevance determined? When the safety and well-being of the patient are at stake, possibilities can be overwhelming, test results difficult to interpret, and answers elusive.
In this interactive session, participants will act as blood bankers and make critical decisions to shape the outcome of complex and uncommon serology and molecular case studies. Key decision paths will be discussed to illustrate the value and limitations of specific serology and molecular methods and to arrive at an accurate interpretation of test results and appropriate transfusion considerations.
Megan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated from North Kansas City Hospital’s School of Clinical Laboratory Science in 2010. In 2015, she attended Indiana Blood Center’s Transfusion Medicine Education program and completed her certification as a Specialist in Blood Banking in 2016. Megan joined the team at the Community Blood Center of Kansas City in 2017 where she enjoys her role as a Lead Technologist in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory. Megan has a passion for learning and sharing all things Blood Bank! In her time away from the lab, Megan enjoys being a wife and stepmother, being active in church and picking up hobbies that keep her hands and mind busy! Currently in her free time, you will find Megan painting, hiking outside, and learning to play the drums.
After working for several years in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory at Community Blood Center in Kansas City, Lynsi now works as the Manager of Education and Training for IRL/Genomics for New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe). In this role, she supports training of laboratory staff and coordinates educational programs and content offered by NYBCe for the greater transfusion medicine community. She has a Master’s Degree in Health Professions Education and is certified as a Specialist in Blood Banking. Lynsi is passionate about educating and training the next generation of leaders in immunohematology and genomics.
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CASE STUDY - Tag, Track &
Go! RFID Tracking of Emergency Blood
Cindy Ingold Manager, Transfusion Medicine
Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO
Emergency Blood is needed fast wherever the bleed occurs. Having emergency blood strategically located across a large, academic campus is critical to meet the need for the bleed. The Barnes Jewish Hospital Blood Bank partnered with Biolog-ID to find an efficient, cost-effective solution that ultimately pays for itself in saved tech resources, keeping the staff in the Blood Bank where they are needed. This facility has five remote storage locations that house emergency blood that is tracked using RFID tags; monitored via a large screen in the Blood Bank and via a cell phone, should you chose, at any time, anywhere!
Cindy Ingold began her career some time ago as a generalist – she found her niche in Blood Banking at Barnes Jewish Hospital and never looked back. She ventured out to the American Red Cross into the IRL where she worked to obtain her Specialist in Blood Bank certification. From there she branched out into various management roles eventually coming home to Barnes Jewish Hospital where it all began. Her current position with BJC is the Manager of Transfusion Medicine which includes the Blood Bank, Cellular Therapy and HLA Laboratories.
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PREPARING FOR THE WORST; NAVIGATING ADVERSE EVENT REPORTING
Andrea Pointer Transfusion Services Supervisor University Health Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
Even when you’ve done everything right, there is still the chance of adverse transfusion reaction, whether as minor as allergies or as major as death. Preparing your facility to manage adverse events may seem easy enough by the standards, but are you really ready to interact with the FDA if the occasion arises?
This presentation aims to share one facility’s experience with a detrimental transfusion outcome, focusing on preparing for the worst-case-scenario, steeling oneself for interacting with the ultimate authority, and finally, techniques to support one another through the emotional impact of such an event.
Andrea Pointer is a graduate of Missouri State University and the North Kansas City Hospital School of Medical Laboratory Science. She has a passion for immunology and molecular sciences, and has worked in specialty laboratories in transplant medicine, oncology genomics, and general laboratory management. She joined the Transfusion Medicine specialty at University Health Truman and Lakewood Medical Centers in 2022, where she currently serves our community’s most vulnerable populations.
In her personal time, she enjoys motherhood, cats, heavy metal, and IPAs.
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DIRECTED DONATIONS: WHAT'S OLD IS NEW Dr. Daniela Hermelin
Chief Medical Officer ImpactLife, St. Louis, MO
There has been a notable rise in requests from patients and caregivers for directed donations-blood donations from a specific donor chosen by the patient, often a family member or friend, rather than from the general volunteer blood supply. Dr. Hermelin, Chief Medical Officer of ImpactLife Blood Center and Assistant Professor of Pathology will explore the factors driving this increase, examine the medical relevance and safety considerations in the manufacturing of these blood products, and discuss best practices for how hospital transfusion services should evaluate and manage these inquiries.
Presentation Objectives
- Identify the key
factors contributing to the recent rise in patient and caregiver requests
for directed blood donations.
- Evaluate the
medical relevance, manufacturing safety considerations, and potential
risks associated with directed donation products.
- Apply best
practices and practical strategies for hospital transfusion services to
effectively assess and manage directed donation inquiries.
Dr.
Daniela Hermelin serves as the Chief Medical Officer at ImpactLife and holds
the position of Assistant Professor of Pathology at St. Louis University School
of Medicine. Her primary areas of focus include leadership development for
emerging blood banking and transfusion medicine specialists, public health
advocacy for access to blood products in trauma and end-of-life support, and
advanced medicine innovation, particularly in prehospital transfusion and cell
and biotherapies.
Dr.
Hermelin completed her residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology in 2018,
followed by a fellowship in Transfusion Medicine at SSM Health St. Louis
University Hospital. She also serves the position of Medical Director of
Transfusion Services at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital and Cardinal
Glennon Children's Hospital.
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O UNIT, WHERE ARE THOU?
Dr. Nathan McLamb
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Recognize the circumstances unique to pediatrics that necessitate increased use of O negative packed red
blood cells
• Describe the process of providing type specific packed red blood cells to neonates
• Identify methods to reduce O negative packed red blood cells use while matching for C/E/K antigens in sickle
cell disease patients
• Discuss an ongoing project to further reduce O negative packed red blood cell use in neonates
• Recognize the circumstances unique to pediatrics that necessitate increased use of O negative packed red
blood cells
• Describe the process of providing type specific packed red blood cells to neonates
• Identify methods to reduce O negative packed red blood cells use while matching for C/E/K antigens in sickle
cell disease patients
• Discuss an ongoing project to further reduce O negative packed red blood cell use in neonates
Recognize the circumstances unique to pediatrics that necessitate increased use of O negative packed red
blood cells
• Describe the process of providing type specific packed red blood cells to neonates
• Identify methods to reduce O negative packed red blood cells use while matching for C/E/K antigens in sickle
cell disease patients
• Discuss an ongoing project to further reduce O negative packed red blood cell use in neonates
Dr. Nathan McLamb is originally from North Carolina where he obtained a Bachelor’s in Science from North
Carolina State University and Doctorate of Medicine from The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina
University. After medical school, he completed his Clinical Pathology Residency training with Harvard at
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. After residency, he practiced Clinical
Chemistry and Blood Banking in Grand Rapids, Michigan for approximately 3 years before he completed a
Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine Fellowship with Washington University in St. Louis at Barnes-
Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. After completion of his fellowship, he became an
Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Immunology at Washington University in St. Louis
where he now serves as Medical Director of Transfusion Medicine for St. Louis Children’s Hospital and
several community hospitals in the BJC system.
Recognize the circumstances unique to pediatrics that necessitate increased use of O negative packed red
blood cells
• Describe the process of providing type specific packed red blood cells to neonates
• Identify methods to reduce O negative packed red blood cells use while matching for C/E/K antigens in sickle
cell disease patients
• Discuss an ongoing project to further reduce O negative packed red blood cell use in neonates
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