Medical Scientist awarded at the Blood Conference 2023
Joel Graham receiving his award from Dr Anastazia Keegan (Australian and New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion President and KEMH Head of Haematology Department)
13/12/2023
Congratulations to Medical Scientist Joel Graham who has been awarded the Best Poster of Oral Presentation that demonstrates improvements within a blood bank laboratory setting at the recent Blood Conference 2023 with his poster ‘Reducing Red Cell wastage – The value of centralised management and surveillance in WA’ demonstrating improvements in a blood transfusion laboratory.
When asked what kept Joel going through the challenging times with the blood inventory management project, Joel said ‘It is in knowing that we are making a real impact.’
He shared they have some great technology that, once up and running, made a huge difference in how the team handles blood products at a local and system wide level. The dashboard technology is not just about stock levels and KPIs; it is a platform that helps negate the vast distances between the laboratories, enabling scientists to work together to solve problems that matter.
‘We are focused on developing and using a sustainable model of blood inventory management. This has tangible benefits to everyone in Western Australia, ensuring fair access to this precious resource in our regional and remote communities. This is a significant challenge, especially in the wet season. In these difficult scenarios local knowledge is crucial and PathWest is fortunate to have experienced staff across the state to help blood get to where it needs to be. Keep in mind that by moving blood around the state to prevent expiry, our blood stock can often travel over 4,000 kms before they are used,’ Joel said.
Joel also mentioned that with the combination of teamwork, new ideas and use of innovative technology, the team has achieved some great results in reducing the waste of red blood cells across WA.
‘At its core, I think this is because previous inefficiencies weren’t just logistics problems for us to figure out, they were challenges to our ethics as transfusion scientists. In response we have built a system which enables the hundreds of scientists across the state to work together to honour these donations as much as possible,’ Joel said.
Last Updated:
28/05/2024